As you know, foodborne illness is a widespread problem, not only in the United States, but around the world. Prior to beginning this course, you may have thought that foodborne illnesses were only caused by restaurants or food manufacturers. However you have learned that what you do (or do not do) in your own home can also cause foodborne illnesses. Whether it is letting the kids sample the raw cookie dough, washing your raw chicken in the kitchen sink, letting your meat thaw at room temperature all day, or judging a burger by the way it looks, there are many ways that we can unintentionally cause harm to ourselves and our families through improper food safety practices.

Create a food safety manual to be used in your own home. There is a suggested table of contents listed below, but it is up to you to fully address each section. You may add to the table of contents, but you may not delete anything. Remember, this is for use in your own home, so it should be specific to your home. So if you are a parent of small children, you may be including different information than a single retired adult. Take into account the structure of your family, and who typically shops for, stores, prepares, serves, and consumes food in your home.

Introduction to Food Safety

How Food can Become Contaminated in the Home Kitchen

Safe Purchasing Practices (where do you shop, what do you look for, how do you transport your groceries home)

Safe Storage Practices (how and where is your food stored, do you rotate, check package dates)

Safe Preparation Practices (who cooks, what are they wearing, what do they do – include at least 4 internal cooking temperatures and explain how to check, handwashing)

Safe Serving Practices (family style, who plates the food, parties and buffets)

Household Food Safety (here you can include extra tips that you want to cover – think about things like if you have children, how you will instill good food safety and hygiene practices, consider listing some “training” resources, the poison control line, what to do if you suspect a foodborne illness, where to report unsafe food that you have purchased, etc.)