The Samuel J. Crumbine Consumer Protection Award is a prestigious award given annually to local environmental health jurisdictions that demonstrate unsurpassed achievement in providing outstanding food protection services to their communities. The purpose of the award is to encourage innovative programs and methods that reduce or eliminate the occurrence of foodborne illnesses, recognize the importance of food protection at the local level and stimulate public interest in foodservice sanitation. Often, winning programs offer "best practices" that may be used by others to advance their own food protection programs.

The award is named in honor of Dr. Samuel J. Crumbine (1862 - 1954), a sanitarian-physician and public health pioneer who was renowned for his innovative methods of improving public health protection. The Samuel J. Crumbine Consumer Protection Award was established in his honor in 1954 and was first awarded in 1955.

In additional to national recognition and well-deserved accolades, winning programs receive the Crumbine Award plaque, consisting of a bronze Crumbine medallion and engraved plate. Key individuals from winning programs (typically the health officer, the immediate supervisor of the food program and the chief sanitarian) also receive engraved Crumbine medallions.

Presentations of these awards are made at the annual meetings of the International Association for Food Protection, the National Association of County & City Health Officials, and the National Environmental Health Association. In addition, Crumbine Award lapel pins are distributed to the winning program's staff, at the discretion of the program director.