Food Safety at School

School Canteens:

The correct handling of food and a high level of personal hygiene are keys to food safety. Correct food safety procedures must be understood by everyone who handles food or works in the kitchen, including volunteers and children.

Nominating a person responsible for supervising canteen operations, including food safety training, is essential to ensure that correct procedures are followed. This canteen manager or supervisor (whether paid or voluntary) must be able to convey these procedures (including the principles of food safety) to everyone working in the canteen.

The canteen supervisor should also be responsible for the implementation of the Food Safety Program. It will be the supervisor’s role to ensure that where potential hazards are identified, they are monitored and appropriate records are kept.

School Lunches from Home:

When the weather is warm, parents should be encouraged to:

• Put a frozen container, such as a frozen drink, in the lunchbox with food that is normally refrigerated, such as ham and yoghurt. Alternatively, use an insulated lunchbox or a cooler.
• Avoid including food in lunches that would normally be kept in the refrigerator, especially during the summer months.
• When preparing school lunches, avoid perishable foods which have just been cooked or warmed, such as hamburgers or boiled eggs. Such foods should be cooled in the refrigerator before being packed for lunches.
• Discard any leftovers and do not re-use.

Such information can be conveyed to parents by including an article in the school newsletter at the start of the year and again at the start of term four.

Once at school, do not store lunches in direct sunlight.

Food Brought from Home for Special Occasions:

Celebrating special events like birthdays adds to the experience of school, but parents or others who provide perishable food should be encouraged to provide it in insulated coolers (like an Esky™) with ice or cooler blocks, especially during hotter months.

Food needs to be kept in an appropriate container or wrapped to protect it from contamination.

Food which is to be served hot should be supplied cold (from the household refrigerator), and once at school, stored in refrigerators until it is served. Just prior to serving, the food should be reheated so that it is steaming hot (that is, brought to the boil, then simmered for five minutes). Foods to be served cold should not be of the high-risk type—see Storing Food on p. 20 for a definition of ‘high risk foods.’

The handling of the food should be supervised and food should be handled with utensils.

In classes where children are encouraged to cook or assist with the preparation of food, elements of food safety should be part of the curriculum. This opportunity should be used to reinforce the importance of handwashing.

Food Provided During ‘Out-of-School Hours’ Care:

The correct handling of food and a high standard of personal hygiene are essential to food safety. The out-of-school hours coordinator needs to ensure that staff, volunteers and children who handle food or work in the kitchen are following the correct personal hygiene and food preparation procedures.

Food for children attending out-of-hours care must be prepared in a room where there is access to appropriate facilities (hot and cold water and refrigeration) such as the school canteen, kitchen or staffroom.

The coordinator or supervisor of care must have an understanding of the basic food safety principles.

School Camps:

When the school is providing food for students on camping or hiking excursions, certain foods should be avoided if adequate storage (such as refrigeration) cannot be provided.

Do provide:

• Dehydrated and dried foods, such as dried fruit and nuts.
• Long-life foods, such as dried soup and dried noodles.
• Canned foods, such as baked beans and canned fruit.
• Foods that do not require refrigeration.

Do not provide:

• Fresh produce requiring refrigeration, such as hams and cooked meats
• Short life foods, such as milk and soft cheeses.
• Hot foods, such as roast chicken and casseroles.

If safe drinking water or bottled water is not available, water should be boiled before drinking (a rolling boil for at least one minute).

School Hours Care:

The correct handling of food and a high standard of personal hygiene are essential to food safety. The school hours coordinator needs to ensure that staff, volunteers and children who handle food or work in the kitchen are following the correct personal hygiene and food preparation procedures.

Food for children attending school care must be prepared in a room where there is access to appropriate facilities (hot and cold water and refrigeration) such as the school canteen, kitchen or staffroom.

The coordinator or supervisor of care must have an understanding of the basic food safety principles.

Fundraising—Fêtes and Sausage Sizzles:

The coordinator or supervisor of the stall or fête needs to advise all those supplying or preparing food of basic food hygiene principles. The coordinator must also keep details of everyone supplying food, including name, address and product details.

All food should be transported so as to prevent contamination. Transport cold food cold (in an insulated container like an Esky™ with ice or cooler block), stored in clean, well-sealed containers that are used for food only.

At the stall, perishable food (products such as meats, chicken, dairy products and other foods that would normally be refrigerated) must be kept cold (below 5°C) or hot (above 60°C). These foods should be displayed in suitable equipment to maintain these temperatures. Where food is displayed at room temperatures, it must not be displayed for longer than four hours.

Unpacked food needs to be protected from customers, insects and contaminants such as dust and dirt.

Wherever unwrapped food is being handled, appropriate handwashing and utensil washing facilities must be provided.

If food is packaged, it needs to be labelled with the following:

• Details* of the person who made it,
• Date prepared
• List of ingredients (especially peanuts and colourings, as some people have allergies to these).

Contact your local council Environmental Health Officer to discuss any additional requirements, including any permit applications required.

Fundraising—Packaged Food:

Ensure that all food supplied for fundraising events, such as chocolate drives, is provided by a registered food business. Only shelf-stable foods (foods that do not require refrigeration) should be sold.

The coordinator of these events should check ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ dates of foods and ensure that packaging is not damaged. Any such concerns should be referred immediately to the supplier and/or to the local Council Environmental Health Officer.

Food and the Curriculum:

Food is an important part of everyday life. A good diet is essential for health and well-being. The food industry is one of Australia’s largest sectors and provides an interesting and rewarding career path.

Schools are encouraged to include food activities in the curriculum to introduce children to a healthy diet and the different types of work performed in the food industry.

When food is handled in the classroom, the following topics need to be addressed:

• Personal Hygiene Practices
• Hygienic Food Preparation Practices
• Safe Storage and Display Practices
• Cleaning Procedures.

The messages taught in class may then be taken home. In this way, food safety will continue at home.