Ask Karen from USDA

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service


Ask Karen provides 24/7 virtual assistance and tips on preventing foodborne illness, safe food handling and storage, and safe preparation of meat, poultry, and egg products. Mobile Ask Karen has all the same features as Ask Karen from your desktop or laptop. You can get answers to your food safety questions while at the grocery store, farmers market, in your kitchen, or while at your barbecue grill.

Using your Android device, you can chat live with a food safety expert on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. EST, and the app provides the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline number (1-888-MPHotline) in case you want to speak to someone directly.You can share answers to food safety questions via email from Mobile Ask Karen.


Want to know where your food was produced or what an establishment produces? Please download our sister app, USDA MPI Directory, from the Google Play Store!