Exercise 8. Keeping Children Safe from Bacteria and Viruses

A. Brainstorm: Think about times when you or your families have had sickness. Is there a connection you can make between contamination of food and sickness? Talk about some of the likely bacteria found in the home and university environment.

B. Answer the questions:

1. Should sponges be used for at least two months?
2. When should you wash your hands?
3. Is it important to wash your hands after touching unsanitary things?
4. Should raw meats be cooked to a temperature of at least 450 degrees?
5. Is it necessary to wash raw vegetables and fruit?
6. May food be safely stored in the freezer for up to three years?
7. What foods don’t freeze well?

C. Read and translate the texts.

Common Sense Tips

Keeping children safe from bacteria and viruses is just using old-fashioned common sense – like the things your mother used to say: "Wash your hands before you eat," "Wash your hands after using the bathroom," and "Cook your food before you eat it." It sounds simple, and it is! Here are some more tips.

Hand Washing

Washing hands is perhaps the most important thing you can do to stop the spread of harmful bacteria and viruses.

Cleaning Tips

· Wash kitchen counters and cutting boards with mild soap and rinse with water.

· Bacteria can grow very fast in sponges. Replace them every two weeks. Get rid of the bacteria by cleaning in dishwasher or by putting wet sponges in the microwave for two minutes.

· You can make your own disinfectant solution by mixing one teaspoon of liquid bleach to one gallon of water.

· Clean and disinfect cutting boards after every use.

Food Preparation

· Wash hands.

· Clean up immediately after touching raw food and before handling ready-to-eat food.

· Cook raw meats to at least 170° F.

· Serve food as soon as possible after preparing.

· Chill leftovers by placing in shallow containers and immediately placing in the refrigerator.

· Keep cold food cold.

· Re-heat leftovers to at least 170°F.

· Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator. Put the food in a pan to hold in drippings and keep it underneath other foods to prevent cross contamination.

· Wash all raw vegetables and fruit.

Freezing Foods

How long will frozen foods keep?

If a freezer stays at zero degrees F. or lower, meats will keep for several months.

These are approximate storage times. If foods remain solidly frozen at zero degrees F, they will remain safe to eat well beyond the recommended time. However, they may show quality change such as rancid off-flavors or freezer burn. Do not store any frozen foods longer than 12-18 months.

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 958