CHILDREN'S FOOD SAFETY SOFTWARE WINS AEP EDUCATION AWARD

NORTH LOGAN, UTAH - Children FightBAC! 2.0, an animated educational software program proven effective in teaching children to handle food safely, has been awarded the 2005 Distinguished Achievement Award for Children's Science Software by the Association of Educational Publishers (AEP). For 37 years, the prestigious AEP education awards have honored the diversity and quality of supplemental educational products for the home and school.

Utah State University funded the Children FightBAC! project with a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Safe Food Institute provided subject matter expertise, and LetterPress Software, Inc., located on Utah State University's Innovation Campus, designed and developed the software. Award winners were selected from titles submitted by software publishers from around the world and were announced at the AEP Annual Awards banquet held June 8, 2005 in Washington, DC. AEP award guidelines state that “products submitted undergo a rigorous two-tier judging process by highly qualified individuals who are experts in their respective areas.”

“Our products have been AEP finalists for two years but this is the first time in the winners' circle. It's a thrill to have one of our products recognized on the podium with products from such companies as: Scholastic Inc., McGraw-Hill, TIME for Kids Media Group, Scantron, and Tom Synder Productions,” says Mark Lacy, Senior Vice President of LetterPress Software.

Children FightBAC! consists of 12 interactive lessons that use animated cartoon characters to teach children how to cook, chill, clean, and store food. The software program increases children's knowledge and use of the Fight BAC! Recommendations, which are: (1) wash hands and surfaces often, (2) avoid cross-contamination of foods, (3) refrigerate properly, and (4) cook at the right temperature.

The Safe Food Institute evaluated the software and found it to be effective, said Janet Anderson, Institute director and associate professor of dietetics at Utah State University. It was tested in six classes with 130 sixth-grade students. Three classes viewed the software from an overhead projector, and three viewed them on individual computers. In each case, students completed activities on individual computers. Test results showed no difference between teacher-led training using a projector and individualized student study on computers.

Prior to the training, all students were observed preparing a meal of a sandwich and smoothie beverage. On average, students washed their hands for 15 seconds - some after prompting by concerned teachers. At the same time, students were given a pre-test on basic food-safety knowledge. The average score was 59%.

Following the FightBAC! lessons, students were observed preparing another meal. The students washed their hands an average of 26 seconds (80 % improvement) and scored 90 % (31% improvement) in food safety knowledge. One month following the program, another food safety post-test was given. The average score of 83% demonstrated that students retained the food safety knowledge they gained from the program.

More information on Children FightBAC! is available from Mark Lacy, LetterPress Software, Inc. at mlacy@lpsoftware.com, toll free: 866-755-5996 or Janet Anderson janeta@cc.usu.edu or visit http://www.childrenfightbac.org.