Food Poisoning

1. Food Poisoning When our food or food handling practices make us ill.

2. What is food poisoning? • Food poisoning is a serious health problem caused by poor personal hygiene on the part of: • Food handlers • Poor storage of food, or • Cross contamination – indirect contamination of food caused by contact with a raw food or non food sources such as clothers, cutting boards or knives.

3. Symptoms? • Vomiting • Diarrhoea • Stomach cramps. • Those with serious health problems, young children and the elderly, food poisoning can result in death.

4. Activity • With a partner develop a list of 4 rules to follow in order to prevent food poisoning. Explain why this is an important rule! • Personally, answer the following in your workbook (reverse of a printed page!) • ‘ When in the kitchen, I need to improve my personal hygiene practices by......”

5. With a partner develop a list of 4 rules to follow in order to prevent food poisoning. Explain why this is an important rule!

6. How do bacteria grow? • Food poisoning bacteria can grow and multiply very quickly in the right conditions. The following factors can affect the growth of bacteria: • Time • Temperature • Food • Moisture • Oxygen • Acidity pH level. Good exam question!

7. Did you know? • Over 5 million cases of food poisoning could be avoided in Australia each year if all food handlers followed three simple steps: • Control temperature • Kill harmful bacteria • Prevent Cross Contamination.

9. Step 1: Control Temperature www.betterhealthchannel.vic.gov.au

10. Activities. • Develop a list of foods that are likely to be cooled and then reheated: • In the school kitchen • At home. • Look at the list of foods that you have developed. Use you knowledge of food groups and suggest the types of foods that are potentially hazardous. • Make a list of safe ways to rapidly cool food. • Reheating foods also increases the risk of bacteria. Food poisoning bacteria start multiplying when chilled food is reheated at 5.c • At what temperature will bacteria multiply?

11. Foods - danger

12. Step 2: Kill harmful bacteria • In order to kill harmful bacteria it is important to cook food properly. When cooking meat products like: • Chicken • Mince • Meat with bones • Hamburgers • Stuffed meats • Sausages It is important that they are thoroughly cooked and that the meat juices run clear.

13. Step 3: Prevent Cross Contamination • Bacteria can spread if raw meat or poultry touches or drips onto ready-to-eat foods. This is dangerous because ready to eat foods often receive no further cooking, therefore the bacteria is not killed. • To prevent cross contamination it is important to: • Separate raw and cooked foods. • Store raw foods covered at the bottom of the fridge • Keep the kitchen utensils clean • Wash hands with soap, rinse and dry thoroughly before and after preparing raw food.

14. Let’s Review • Explain how food poisoning occurs. • What are the symptoms of food poisoning? Who is most at risk of these symptoms? • List the conditions required for the growth of bacteria. • Suggest and explain 3 ways that food poisoning can be prevented. • What is the temperature zone? How can this be an issue for the growth of bacteria? Good exam questions!