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Preparing Foods Safely
With the recent scare in the U.S. involving contaminated frozen foods used in school settings, many schools and childcare programs are examining their food handling preparation. While you can't predict a situation like the one with the frozen berries, there are steps that you can take to increase safety in food handling.
In childcare settings, many different staff people--teachers, aides, kitchen staff, parents--may be involved in food handling. How can the staff handle food preparation in the most sanitary manner?
The number one answer is that old standby, hand washing! Caregivers may tend to children and prepare foods, often doing both at the same time. Good hand washing techniques are one of the best ways to safeguard against food contamination.
What's the best way to wash your hands? Apply soap and wash your hands for at least 10-15 seconds under running water. Don't forget to include scrub all areas of the hands including the fingernails. After rinsing thoroughly, dry with clean toweling or hot air dryer. After your hands are clean and before you handle food, don't touch light switches, door knobs, or even faucets.
For safety's sake, avoid having a staff person who is responsible for diaper changing involved in food preparation. Also, employees who are ill or who have open sores or cuts should not handle food.
The food handling area should be clean and sanitized. Common areas of contamination are knives and cutting boards so sanitize these with hot water and a disinfectant solution between uses. Dish washing in HOT water is important to kill germs.
Proper food storage is essential. Foods should be defrosted in the refrigerator, not on the counter. When refrigerating large quantities of food, use small containers so that the entire content cools quickly (if the middle section stays warm, bacteria can develop.)
The eating area should be clean and sanitized before and after each use. Supervise the children to discourage sharing of foods and utensils. Some centers have policies prohibiting the sharing of foods brought from the children's homes such as bag lunches or classroom treats.
Safety procedures in the kitchen are important and can keep everyone in the center--adults and children--healthier.
Dish Washing Safely
- The best way to wash, rinse, and disinfectant dishes and eating utensils is to use a dishwasher. If a dishwasher is not available, use a three compartment sink or one or two sinks with one or two dish tubs. Also, you need a dish rack for air drying.
- Fill one sink or compartment with hot tap water and detergent, the second sink with hot tap rinse water, and the third sink with hot tap water and a disinfectant solution of 1-1/2 tablespoons of chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Scrape food off utensils and dishes and wash thoroughly in sink one, rinse in sink two, and immerse for 60 seconds in sink three's disinfectant solution. Air dry on a rack.
- Food preparation and dish washing sinks should be used for these purposes only and not for routine hand washing or diaper changing.
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