The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), representing the nation’s nearly 3,000 local governmental health departments, has released the guidelines for the 2021 Samuel J. Crumbine consumer protection award for excellence in food protection at the local level. Given annually to local environmental health jurisdictions that demonstrate unsurpassed achievement in providing outstanding food protection services to their communities, this award is named for Samuel J. Crumbine, MD (1862–1954). The award encourages innovative programs and methods that reduce or eliminate the occurrence of foodborne illnesses, recognizes the importance of food protection at the local level and stimulates public interest in foodservice sanitation.
“Food safety is critical for all of us, no matter where we live. It is estimated that nearly 50 million people are sickened by food borne illnesses each year, causing preventable hospitalizations and even deaths,” says NACCHO CEO Lori Tremmel Freeman. “Health departments, the food industry and consumers all play essential roles in aspects of food safety. The Samuel J. Crumbine Award recognizes local environmental health jurisdictions who are leaders in their approaches to food safety. By highlighting their successes, we can then share those best practices with other communities around the country to improve their food safety systems as well.”