Food Safety Basics
Before you enter the kitchen, cover the ground rules with children first:
• Wash hands in warm, soapy water before and after handling food.
• Pull long hair back.
• Keep counter tops and working surfaces clean.
• Teach children to wait until the food is cooked before tasting. Don’t let them lick their fingers or put their hands in their mouths, especially when working with raw foods such as cookie dough and raw meat or poultry.
• Avoid double dipping or putting spoons back into food after using them for tasting.
• Remember, young cooks need supervision.
• Teach the four simple steps:
o Wash hands, surfaces and kitchen utensils.
o Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood separate from ready-to-eat foods
o Cook to proper temperatures
o Refrigerate promptly to 40 degrees F or below.
3-5 year olds
Young children love helping out, but need very close adult supervision since their motor skills are still developing. Teach these youngsters the importance of washing produce and using clean appliances and utensils.
Appropriate Tasks:
• Wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds. Make it a game by singing the “Happy Birthday” song together twice as you wash your hands.
• Wash fruits and vegetables in the sink with cool tap water.
• Wipe up tabletops.
• Mix ingredients like easy-to-mix batters.
• Brush (or “paint”) oil with a clean pastry brush on bread, asparagus or other foods.
• Cut cookies with fun shaped cookie cutters (but don’t eat the raw dough!).