Create A Home Food Safety Manual As You Know Foodborne Illne
Create A Home Food Safety Manualas You Know Foodborne Illness Is A W
Create a home food safety manual. As you know, foodborne illness is a widespread problem, not only in the United States, but around the world. Prior to beginning this course, you may have thought that foodborne illnesses were only caused by restaurants or food manufacturers. However, you have learned that what you do (or do not do) in your own home can also cause foodborne illnesses. Whether it is letting the kids sample the raw cookie dough, washing your raw chicken in the kitchen sink, letting your meat thaw at room temperature all day, or judging a burger by the way it looks, there are many ways that we can unintentionally cause harm to ourselves and our families through improper food safety practices.
For this final assignment, you will be creating a food safety manual to be used in your own home. There is a suggested table of contents listed below, but it is up to you to fully address each section. You may add to the table of contents, but you may not delete anything. Remember, this is for use in your own home, so it should be specific to your home. So if you are a parent of small children, you may be including different information than a single retired adult.
Take into account the structure of your family, and who typically shops for, stores, prepares, serves, and consumes food in your home. Do NOT include the explanations in parentheses that follow the table of contents elements – these are to help clarify what should be included – but DO include page numbers for reference. Please do NOT copy and paste charts from various websites. Anyone can copy and paste. That does not show that you understand the concepts.
Visuals are encouraged – either create your own or if you must use an existing visual, be sure to give credit to the creator of the image. You should cite your sources using APA format for in-text citations. So if you have a list of internal cooking temperatures (hint, hint), cite the source that you used to find those temperatures. This is for you to demonstrate what you have learned and how you would share your food safety knowledge with your family and friends. Have fun with this.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Food Safety
Overview of why food safety is important at home, common causes of foodborne illnesses, and the impact on health.
How Food can Become Contaminated in the Home Kitchen
Description of contamination sources such as raw meats, improper cleaning, cross-contamination, and poor hygiene practices.
Safe Purchasing Practices
Guidelines on where to shop, what to look for in food products (freshness, packaging), and how to transport groceries safely.
Safe Storage Practices
Proper methods for storing different types of foods, understanding storage zones in the refrigerator and pantry, rotation practices, and checking expiration dates.
Safe Preparation Practices
Information on who prepares the food, appropriate attire (such as hairnets or aprons), ultimate internal cooking temperatures for various meats, how to check temperatures, and proper handwashing techniques.
Safe Serving Practices
Best practices for family-style serving, responsibilities of plating food, handling food at parties and buffets, and avoiding cross-contamination during serving.
Household Food Safety
Additional safety tips, especially for households with children or vulnerable populations, including hygiene education, resources for food safety training, poison control contact information, procedures for suspected foodborne illnesses, and reporting unsafe food.
Additional Tips and Resources
Any other relevant tips, online or community resources, guides, or checklists to reinforce food safety habits at home.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Food Safety. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety
- United States Department of Agriculture. (2021). Food Safety and Inspection Service. https://www.fsis.usda.gov
- Food and Drug Administration. (2022). Food Safety. https://www.fda.gov/food
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (2019). Safe Food Handling at Home. Journal of Nutrition, 149(2), 237-245.
- International Food Safety Authorities Network. (2020). Food Safety Guidelines. WHO. https://www.who.int/foodsafety/facts/en/
- Hoban, K., & Adams, M. (2018). Home Food Safety Practices and Risk Reduction. Journal of Food Protection, 81(3), 482-490.
- National Restaurant Association. (2020). Food Safety in the Home. https://restaurant.org
- FoodSafety.gov. (2021). Food Safety at Home. https://www.foodsafety.gov
- United States Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Food Safety Tips for Families. https://www.hhs.gov
- World Health Organization. (2015). WHO Guidelines on Food Safety. https://www.who.int/foodsafety