The organization Fight Bac! has released its iPhone and iPad app called the Perfect Picnic. This game is made for kids to help them learn about food safety during picnics and outdoor events. The game lets you build a fun space with trees, fountains, grills, and outdoor kitchens.
This game is part of the Fight Bac! effort to education children about food safety. Half of all foodborne infections are in children under the age of 15. A recent Canadian study found that 33% of 5th graders help with meal preparation or prepare their own snacks, so teaching kids about food safety is critical.
Fight Bac! also has a new national youth campaign called “Food Safety On the Move”. Materials for teaching kids about food safety include student activity sheets, classroom posters, and a teacher’s script, along with a store tour flier and power point presentation are available for download.
In a webinar sponsored by Fight Bac!, Shelley Feist, director of Partnership for Food Safety Education said that in studies conducted at U.C. Davis, researchers found that 32% of food preparers didn’t wash their hands after handling raw meat. In addition, cross-contamination occurred in 74% of the households observed, with an average of 35 occurrences per household. Cross-contamination is a common cause of foodborne illness.
In addition, 76% of consumers don’t use a thermometer to check hamburgers for the safe donenss temperature, and 30% of home refrigerators have their temperature set above 41 degrees F, which is unsafe. Research also shows there is a disconnect between what people think will happen with food safety and the facts. Most adults think a serious foodborne illness will not happen in their family. Reaching out to kids to educate them about food safety is a critical way to prevent foodborne illness.
