Don’t Be One Of the 97%! A new United States Department of Agriculture study notes that consumers don’t correctly wash their hands prior to eating 97% of the time. The same study also states that only 34% of the study’s participants use a thermometer when cooking burgers, and that cross-contamination was also a factor in the test kitchen that was part of the study. While the study was primarily focused on consumers, rather than restaurants, remember that we are all consumers at home. Remind staff how critical handwashing is to everyone’s health.