MS Department of Education Office of Healthy Schools Food Safety Assurance Training for School District Staff

NUTRITION STANDARDS MS Healthy Students Act of 2007 The MS Healthy Students Act (passed by the 2007 Mississippi Legislature) required the MS Department of Education to develop Nutrition Standards for healthy food preparation in schools. The standards require that schools update their School Wellness Policy to include a food safety assurance program for all foods offered to students through sale or service. This training meets the requirements for training school staff on food safety principles.

WHY is food safety important in Mississippi schools? Foodborne illnesses affects students attendance and achievement. Teacher illnesses costs time and money. Serious foodborne illness can cause death and lead to lawsuits against schools and school districts. Foodborne illness is preventable with easy-to-implement food safety practices.

FOOD SAFE SCHOOLS Support Student Success Mississippi Child Nutrition programs and school cafeterias already have food safety training and meet strict standards. School staff and students need to think food safety for classroom celebrations, student stores, and concession stands. Basic food safety principles must be used anytime food is served at school.

WHAT can Mississippi schools do to be food safe?

Build awareness of problems with foodborne illness. Educate staff, students, and families on food safety basics. Promote change to food safe habits throughout school.

HOW to be FOOD SAFE at School: 1.Wash and Sanitize Hands. 2.Proper use of gloves. 3.Clean and sanitize surfaces. 4.Check food temperatures of delivered foods. 5.Keep hot foods HOT (135 ◦ F or above). 6.Keep cold foods COLD (41 ◦ F or below). 7.Reheat food to 165 ◦ F and verify temperatures with a food thermometer. 8.Prevent Cross-Contamination (i.e. keep foods apart to avoid the transmission of pathogens from one food item to another).

Proper Hand Washing Techniques: 1. Wet your hands 2. Apply liquid soap 3. Lather and scrub (20 seconds) 4. Rinse clean 5. Dry your hands 6. Turn water off with paper towel 7. Open door with paper towel

When to wash your hands: Before eating or handling food; After using the toilet; After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing; After touching animals or animal waste; After handling rubbish; After changing a diaper; After touching raw meats, poultry and fish; After smoking; Before and after touching a sick or injured person; Before and after putting on a new pair of gloves.

Proper Hand Sanitizing:

Proper use of Disposable Gloves:

Clean and Sanitize Surfaces: Cleaning: use dish soap, warm water, and rub down with a paper towel to remove dirt from tables and other surfaces Sanitizing: is important after cleaning to reduce the number of bacteria and viruses. Use commercial sanitizer or solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach in one gallon of water.

Four Simple Steps to Prevent Bacteria: 1. Clean 2. Separate 3. Cook 4. Chill

KNOW Temperature Danger Zone: Bacteria (and other germs) grow most rapidly between 41 °F and 135 °F. In terms of food contamination, this is commonly called the DANGER ZONE. The goal is to keep prepared foods out of this danger zone as much as possible - and to refrigerate cooked foods after 2 hours.

Simple Steps to Prevent Problems 1. CLEAN 2. Proper hand washing 3. Proper hand sanitizing 4. Proper glove use 5. Correct cleaning/sanitizing of tables and other surfaces

HOW can Mississippi schools approach food safety efficiently? Use existing materials – no need to reinvent the wheel Use local experts – Child Nutrition director, MSU Extension staff, and Health Department staff Use School Health Council – for expertise and promotion of food safety

Everyone Has a Role in Food Safety!

When Families Prepare Food at Home, they MUST: 1. Plan Ahead. 2. Store and Prepare foods safely. 3. Cook food to safe internal temperature. 4. Transport food safely; keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. 5. Keep food out of the temperature DANGER ZONE (41 ◦ F ◦ F). 6. When in doubt, throw it out.

Food Safety Resources for Schools: ood-safety

The MS Department of Education is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.

FOOD SAFE at School For additional information, contact: Mississippi Department of Education Office of Healthy Schools