1. Module 2: Safe Cooking with Confidence
Cooking Matters for
Child Care Professionals
Module 2: Safe Cooking with Confidence

2. Why Should Food Safety Be a Top Priority For You?

3. Why Should Food Safety Be a Top Priority For You?
Infants and young children are at a greater risk for foodborne illness.

4. Prevent Food Contamination
Follow these three basic principles:
Practice good hygiene
Avoid cross-contamination
Keep foods out of the “danger zone”

5. Practice Good Hygiene Wash your hands Wash children’s hands
Wash often with soap and warm water
for at least 20 seconds

6. Avoid Cross-Contamination
Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and work surfaces before and after food preparation
Use separate cutting boards and work surfaces for raw meats and produce
Place cooked food on a clean plate
Disinfect serving areas

7. Avoid Cross-Contamination (cont.)
Sanitize*
Disinfect*
To soak, clean in a chlorine solution of 1 Tablespoon of household chlorine bleach mixed with one gallon of water
To wipe, clean surfaces with a stronger chlorine solution of l/4 cup household chlorine bleach mixed with one gallon of cool water
*These are solution guidelines; be sure to follow the requirements set by your local health department.

8. Keep Foods Out of the Danger Zone
Store, cook, and hold foods at safe temperatures
Keep hot foods hot
Keep cold foods cold
Use tools to check the internal temperatures

9. A Safe Food Environment for Children
Staff stores sharp objects and labeled chemicals out of reach.
Staff enforces safe behaviors in the food preparation area and meal tables.
The kitchen, storage, and eating areas are clean and uncluttered.
Furniture, eating and serving utensils are age- appropriate.
Offer appropriate foods, avoiding:
Allergens
Choking hazards

10. Children pass through “stations” containing ingredients and assemble their own food portions.

11. Activity We Eat Tops and Bottom!
Talk with the kids about how we eat different types of the plants- flower, stems, leaves, seeds (above the soil), and roots (below the soil)
On a poster board white board draw a line representing the soil
Give each child a picture of a food
They can place it above or below the soil based on their foods
See page 10 of Exploring Foods Together.

12. Goal Setting Complete the worksheet on page 19 Discuss in small groups
Food safety in your class or setting
Cooking with your kids

13. Questions?