Basic 8 · Career Technology · Food Hygiene
Skills for Keeping Food Safe
In this topic you will demonstrate skills for keeping food safe during buying, storing, preparing, cooking and serving, and explain how these skills prevent food poisoning and food-borne diseases.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Demonstrate safe practices when buying and storing food
- Demonstrate hygienic food preparation, cooking and serving
- Explain how food safety skills prevent food-borne diseases
What you already know
- Food hygiene from production to consumption (Basic 7)
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
Lesson 1
- Strand
- Health And Safety
- Sub-strand
- Food Hygiene
- Indicator
- B8.1.1.1.2 – Demonstrate skills in keeping food safe
Introduction
Food safety begins in the market. Choosing good-quality food and storing it properly at home prevent spoilage and disease.
1. Choosing Safe Food at the Market
| Food | Signs of good quality | Signs to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| fish | bright eyes, red gills, firm flesh, fresh smell | dull eyes, grey gills, soft flesh, bad smell |
| meat | firm, moist, fresh smell, bought from an inspected place | slimy, discoloured, bad smell |
| fruits and vegetables | firm, bright, without bruises or mould | soft, mouldy, bruised |
| grains and legumes | dry, clean, free of weevils and stones | damp, mouldy, insect-infested |
| packaged foods | intact packaging, valid expiry date | swollen tins, torn packs, expired |
Buy food from clean stalls where it is covered and protected from flies, dust and sun. Avoid buying food displayed near refuse dumps or open drains.
2. Storing Food at Home
Proper storage keeps food fresh and safe. Perishable foods such as fish, meat, milk and cooked food spoil quickly and should be cooked soon or kept cold in a refrigerator. Raw meat and fish should be wrapped and placed below cooked foods so their juices do not drip onto them. Dry foods such as rice, gari, beans and maize should be kept in airtight containers in a cool, dry place, away from rats and insects.
3. First In, First Out
Use the rule "first in, first out" (FIFO): use older stock before newer stock so that nothing expires. Label containers with the date of purchase. Check stored food regularly for signs of spoilage such as mould, bad smells or insects, and throw away spoilt food.
4. Traditional Preservation
Ghanaians have long preserved food without refrigerators: smoking and salting fish, drying cassava into kokonte, frying into gari, sun-drying okro, pepper and maize, and fermenting maize for kenkey. These methods remove water or create conditions that stop germs from growing.
5. Reading Food Labels
Packaged foods carry labels that help you buy and store them safely. Check the name of the product, the ingredients, the net weight, the manufacturing and expiry dates, storage instructions such as "store in a cool, dry place", and the registration number of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA). A missing FDA number or expiry date is a warning sign that the product may not be safe.
New words
- perishable
- Spoiling quickly.
- airtight
- Not allowing air to enter.
- expiry date
- The date after which food should not be eaten.
- FIFO
- First in, first out: using older stock first.
Summary
- Choose fresh, clean and well-packaged food from hygienic sellers.
- Store perishable foods cold and dry foods in airtight containers, keeping raw and cooked foods apart.
- Use FIFO, check for spoilage and use traditional preservation methods.
Class activity: Food Quality Check
- Examine samples of fresh and less fresh produce.
- Identify the signs of good and poor quality.
- Demonstrate storing dry foods in airtight containers with labels.
You need: Clean apron, Head covering, Covered food container
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Fresh fish has…
- A. bright eyes and red gills
- B. dull eyes
- C. grey gills
- D. soft flesh
Show answer
Answer: bright eyes and red gillsFreshness.2. FIFO means…
- A. first in, first out
- B. fish in, fruit out
- C. fast in, fast out
- D. food in fridge only
Show answer
Answer: first in, first outStock rotation.3. Raw meat should be stored above cooked food.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalseStore below to avoid drips.4. Foods that spoil quickly are ______.
Show answer
Answer: perishablee.g. fish, milk.5. State three signs of poor-quality packaged food.
Show answer
Answer: Swollen tins, torn packaging, expired date.Any three.6. Explain how drying preserves food.
Show answer
Answer: Removing water stops germs and moulds from growing, so the food lasts longer.Water removal.
Lesson 2
- Strand
- Health And Safety
- Sub-strand
- Food Hygiene
- Indicator
- B8.1.1.1.2 – Demonstrate skills in keeping food safe
Introduction
Even the freshest food can become dangerous if it is prepared with dirty hands or utensils. Good kitchen skills keep the whole family safe.
1. The Food Handler
Before preparing food, tie back long hair and cover it, wear a clean apron, remove jewellery, wash hands with soap and cover any cuts with a waterproof plaster. Do not cook if you have diarrhoea, vomiting or a bad cough. Avoid touching the face, hair or phone while cooking, and wash hands again after handling raw meat, fish or eggs.
2. Preparing Food
- Clean and sanitise the work surface.
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly in clean water.
- Use separate boards and knives for raw meat and for vegetables, or wash them well between uses.
- Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator or in cold water, not on the open counter.
- Keep raw and cooked foods apart to prevent cross-contamination.
3. Cooking Food Thoroughly
Cooking at the right temperature kills most germs. Meat, poultry and eggs must be cooked until the juices run clear and no pink remains. Soups and stews should be brought to a boil. Reheat leftovers until they are steaming hot all the way through, and reheat only once.
4. Serving and Keeping Food Safe
| Practice | Reason |
|---|---|
| serve food on clean plates with clean utensils | prevents contamination |
| cover food to keep flies away | flies carry germs |
| keep hot food hot and cold food cold | germs grow fastest in warm food |
| do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than two hours | prevents germ growth |
| wash dishes promptly with soap and hot water | removes food and germs |
5. Food-Borne Diseases
When food safety skills are ignored, people can suffer food poisoning, with stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, or more serious diseases such as cholera, typhoid and dysentery. Practising these skills at home, at school canteens and by food vendors protects the community.
6. Food Safety in School Canteens
School canteens serve many learners at once, so food safety is especially important. Canteen workers should have health certificates, wear aprons and head coverings, keep cooked food covered, and use clean water and utensils. Learners can help by washing their hands before eating, reporting unhygienic practices to teachers and not buying food from unclean vendors near the school gate.
New words
- cross-contamination
- Spreading germs from one food or surface to another.
- sanitise
- To clean in a way that kills germs.
- thaw
- To defrost frozen food.
- food-borne disease
- An illness caused by eating contaminated food.
Summary
- Food handlers must be clean, covered and healthy.
- Prepare food on clean surfaces, wash produce and prevent cross-contamination.
- Cook thoroughly, serve on clean utensils, cover food and avoid leaving it warm for long.
Class activity: Hygienic Food Preparation Practical
- Dress correctly in a clean apron and head covering.
- Prepare a simple fruit salad, following all hygiene steps.
- Serve it in a covered container and clean up afterwards.
You need: Clean apron, Head covering, Covered food container
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Which item should a food handler wear?
- A. clean apron
- B. jewellery
- C. wristwatch
- D. perfume only
Show answer
Answer: clean apronHygiene.2. Spreading germs from raw meat to vegetables is called…
- A. cross-contamination
- B. preservation
- C. fermentation
- D. thawing
Show answer
Answer: cross-contaminationGerm transfer.3. Cooked food should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueGerm growth.4. To defrost frozen food is to ______ it.
Show answer
Answer: thawDefrost.5. State four hygiene steps a food handler should take before cooking.
Show answer
Answer: Wash hands, wear an apron, cover hair, remove jewellery (or cover cuts).Any four.6. Why should separate boards be used for raw meat and vegetables?
Show answer
Answer: Raw meat may carry germs that can transfer to vegetables eaten raw, causing illness.Cross-contamination.
Homework
- Observe how food is prepared at home and suggest two hygiene improvements.