Extension Report

Baldwin County Extension Office

302A Byrne Street

Bay Minette, AL  36507

Telephone (251) 937-7176 or

928-0860/943-5611 ext. 2222

FAX (251) 937-7285

Amelia McGrew

Regional Extension Agent

Food Safety, Preparation & Preservation

February 16, 2010

Local High School Students Learn the Importance of Food Safety

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year, in the United States, 76 million people get sick from food borne illness: 325,000 of them are hospitalized, approximately 5,000 die and healthcare expenses on average, costs the United States somewhere between 19-37 billion dollars each year.  A large part of the problem is that many people do not receive sufficient education on safe food handling.

Providing effective food safety education to young consumers is a priority area for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, as well as Family & Consumer Science teachers at local high schools.  59 students at Spanish Fort High School took part in a Food Safety in the classroom program during this past week.  They learned about food safety through both hands-on and inquiry based lessons.  Their hands-on activities involved using the “Glo-Germ” kit to show how bacteria are spread.  The students were asked to rub glo-germ lotion on their hands, turn off the lights and then turn on the black light (underneath the purple bug) and see glowing “germs”.  After using the Glo-Germ demonstration participants  were then asked to wash their hands with soap and warm water and repeat the steps. Under ultraviolet lights, participants could see traces of lotion remaining on their hands and, thus, were able to determine the effectiveness of their hand washing techniques.

Other activities that students participated in were, Food Safety Jeopardy, in which students learned of several types of bacteria that may cause a food borne illness and safe ways to handle their food.  

Students also received a brief introduction to the Servsafe Curriculum, which reinforced the importance of the food safety concepts in their daily lives, which broadened their knowledge of the topic and exposed them to possible careers in food science. 

For questions concerning food safety, I can be reached at (251) 574-8445 or via email at mcgreaj@auburn.edu.

Email address: mcgreaj@aces.edu

Phone number: (251) 574-8445

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity educator and employer.