The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555 provides information on safe food handling, the prevention of food-borne illness and the labeling of meat, poultry and egg products. Backyard grill cooks can ask for information about safe food temperatures, for example.
Technical information specialists answer the phone from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., EDT, Monday to Friday. At all other times, 24 hours a day, recorded information is available, with messages designed to answer the most frequently asked questions.
The Web site at www.fsis.usda.gov offers a wide range of information. For example, visitors may call up and read USDA publications online.