Be Food Safe!

     There are four easy steps to help you to be Food Safe in the kitchen:

1. CLEAN- Wash your hands with soap and warm water for 20 minutes before and after handling food.
2. SEPARATE- Keep raw meat and poultry apart from foods that will not be cooked.
3. COOK- Use a food thermometer to see if your food is fully cooked.
4. CHILL- Chill leftovers within two hours of cooking them and keep them in a cool fridge. 

Chill!

                      Cool the fridge to 40 °F or below.  Chill leftovers and takeout food within two hours.  Thaw meat, poultry, and seafood in the fridge not on the counter.  Bacteria spreads fastest at room temperature so chilling foods is very important! 

                      Refrigeration slows the growth of bacteria.  Bacteria exists everywhere in nature- in the soil, air, water, and in foods we eat.  They grow faster when they are in warmer temperatures.  There are two types of bacteria in Refrigerated food:

1.  Pathogenic:  Can grow in warmer temperatures.  These do not generally affect taste, smell or appearance of food.  So you can't tell it's there!

2.  Spoilage:  Can grow at low temperatures (like in the refrigerator).  They cause foods to have bad tastes or smells. 


TASK #1:  Listen to the following clip about chilling foods:

mms://ocbmtcwmp.usda.gov/content/fsis/psa/chill.mp3

TASK #2:  Complete the Cloze Pro assignment for this section.

Washing Dishes Safely

When washing dishes, you should:

• Organize the dishes (plates with plates, utensils with utensils, etc...)
• Scrap any leftover food into the compost
• Pre-soak your dishes in hot water (but not hot enough to burn you)
• Wash the dishes using dish soap and a clean dish cloth
• Rinse the dishes with hot water
• Place dishes in the dish rack
• Allow dishes to air dry in the dish rack

Personal Hygiene and Serving Food

                 Personal Hygiene is properly caring for your body and keeping it clean and healthy.  When working with and serving food, you need to make sure you:

ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER:

• Using the toilet
• Sneezing or coughing
• Handling raw foods
• Handling garbage
• Clearing tables
• Before starting work, after breaks or when you enter the kitchen

When serving food:

• Use tongs, wax paper or non-latex gloves to touch food- never touch food with bare hands when possible.
• Use the handles of glasses, cups, or utensils- be sure not to touch areas where people's mouths will go.

Cook!

                 Foodborne Bacteria can't be seen, smelled, or tasted, but it can make you very sick.  Remember to always use these cooking tips:

1. Use a food thermometer- this will help you tell if your food is fully cooked.
2. Always cook food to a safe minimum temperature. 
3. Always place the food thermometer in the thickest part of the food, away from the bone and fat to check the temperature.
4. Let food sit for a few minutes after cooking in the microwave as it can burn you because it is very hot. 
5. Always cook eggs before eating them.  Eggs should be firm and not runny when you are going to eat them.
6. Don't depend on checking the colour of cooked meat- only a thermometer will tell for sure.
7. Check the temperature in several places to be sure the food is cooked evenly.
8. Wash the food thermometer in hot, soapy water after using it.

Look at the following chart to see safe temperatures for different foods.

Watch the following video to see how you can become sick if you don't properly handle your food:



TASK:  Read the story "How Your Dad Got Sick!" and highlight anything you think is very important.

Clean!

       Foodborne bacteria can be hiding just about anywhere.  The bacteria can multiply as you saw in the video and can make you sick!  To prevent this, you need to:

• Wash your hands with soap and warm water often!
• Rinse fruits and vegetables with tap water before you eat them.
• Wash your hands before you make a snack, after playing with pets, and after using the bathroom.
• Always use clean knives, forks, plates, and spoons.
• Always use a clean plate.  Cooked foods should not be placed on the same plate that held raw meat, poultry or fish.
• Only put food on clean surfaces.  Never put your food on a dirty table.
• Put your bookbag on the floor- not on the kitchen table or counters.

Watch the videos "The Journey of a Germ" and "Clean It Up" at:
http://www.squidoo.com/childrenshandwashing

 TASK #1:  Print off and complete the "Make a Pet Germ" activity from

http://www.squidoo.com/childrenshandwashing

TASK #2:  Ask your teacher for the wordsearch about the information you have just learned.

Separate!

            Cross- contamination is the scientific word for how bacteria can be spread from one food to another.  This is very easily done with raw foods such as meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood, so ALWAYS keep these foods away from ready-to-eat foods!   Bacteria can make you sick.

1. Keep raw meat and poultry apart from foods that won't be cooked.
2. Wash hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds.
3. Always wash cutting boards, dishes, and utensils ni hot, soapy water after they are in contact with raw meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood.
4. Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry and seafood. 

TASK:  Complete the Cloze Pro assignment on this topic.

Just for Fun!

1. Visit http://www.fooddetectives.com/ and click on "Play the Game" and try to complete all the cases about Foodborne Illnesses.  Have fun!
2. Ask your teacher for the "BAC-Catcher Game" and play this with a friend.