Safe Food Handling

Food poisoning happens when food is contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses or toxins. Symptoms include stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea and fever, and for older people, pregnant people, young children and those with weakened immune systems it can lead to hospital. In this lesson you will learn how food becomes unsafe, the four main ways contamination happens, and why good habits matter when you support someone in their own kitchen. Key points: you cannot tell if food is unsafe by looking at it, and most food poisoning is preventable.

Good personal and kitchen hygiene stops germs reaching food. Wash your hands with soap and water before handling food, after touching raw meat, after the toilet, after handling rubbish and after touching your face or phone. Do not prepare food for others if you have vomiting or diarrhoea. Keep benches, chopping boards and utensils clean, change cloths and tea towels often, and cover cuts with a waterproof dressing. In this lesson you will also learn how to support participants to build safe habits while cooking for themselves.

Bacteria grow fastest between 5 and 60 degrees Celsius, known as the temperature danger zone. Keep cold food at 5 degrees or colder and hot food at 60 degrees or hotter. Use the two hour and four hour guide for food that has been out of the fridge. Store raw meat in sealed containers on the bottom shelf of the fridge, cool leftovers quickly, label them with the date, and respect use by dates. In this lesson you will learn practical ways to apply these rules in a participant's home.

Cook food thoroughly, especially chicken, mince, sausages and eggs, and reheat leftovers until steaming hot all the way through, only once. Serve food promptly. Many participants have allergies, intolerances, cultural or religious food needs, or a mealtime management plan for swallowing difficulties. In this lesson you will learn to read and follow these plans exactly, avoid allergen cross contact, and prepare texture modified food as directed by a speech pathologist or dietitian. Key point: a mealtime plan is not optional, and changes must come from a qualified health practitioner.

This case study follows Dorothy, an older woman who lives alone and receives home support. Her fridge is full of old leftovers and she likes to keep food for later. The lesson shows how her support worker balances Dorothy's right to run her own home with the need to keep food safe. You will see how to check fridge temperature, label and date leftovers, talk about use by dates respectfully, and set up simple systems that suit her. Key points: respect her choices, explain the risk kindly, and report concerns to your team leader.

This case study is set in a shared home where four residents take turns cooking dinner with support. Kwame, who has an intellectual disability, is learning to cook a chicken stir fry. The lesson shows how his support worker uses prompts, colour coded boards and a food thermometer to build safe habits, and how he responds when a housemate with a mealtime plan wants to share the meal. Key points: prompt rather than take over, separate raw and cooked food, check cooking temperatures, and follow every mealtime plan exactly, even on a relaxed night.

This case study follows a small group outing to the beach on a hot summer day. The support worker, Hamish, plans packed lunches for three participants, one of whom has a severe peanut allergy. The lesson covers keeping food cold on the go, hand hygiene when there is no kitchen sink, managing allergies away from home, and what to do when someone offers a participant food with unknown ingredients. Key points: plan ahead, keep cold food cold with ice bricks, carry the allergy action plan and medication, and when in doubt about food, leave it out.