Make Food Safety For Kids A Priority
Everyone knows that schools can be dirty places. As much as teachers try to keep kids clean, with hundreds of children in each school there are bound to be more than a few germs floating around. These germs can easily spread during lunchtime, when lots of kids gather in one place, so it is important for parents and teachers to make food safety for kids a priority.
There are a couple of easy ways to ensure food safety for kids. One way is for teachers with sinks in their classrooms to have each student wash his or her hands before eating a snack or going to lunch. This is especially helpful for younger students, who might forget to wash hands after using the restroom. It at least makes sure that students have washed their hands before eating food.
?Sometimes that is not a realistic method for ensuring food safety for kids. Another simple thing to do is to encourage teachers to make food safety for kids part of a lesson plan. Doing a lesson on the danger of everyday germs and the benefits of washing hands before a meal can be a great way for kids to learn what they need to know quickly and in the kind of setting where they can get all the facts and ask questions. Younger kids will benefit from a quick review of the facts.
Of course, food safety for kids should not just focus on younger students. Older students are often in a rush and can forget to wash hands. Having some appropriate signage in bathrooms is a great way to offer a gentle reminder about the dangers of forgetting to wash hands. While some are still likely to forget, it will definitely help others remember to take the extra 30 seconds and help keep the school clean.
Food safety is not just about what students can do. Remind cafeteria workers that they need to take precautions as well. Even though every cafeteria worker should have a food handler’s card, it is still important to remind them of what is expected in terms of food safety. Having an administrator make an occasional inspection of the cafeteria kitchen is a good way for school officials to keep an eye on what is going on in terms of food safety and overall food quality. What kids eat is vitally important and keeping them healthy can be as simple as paying attention.