Food Focus November 2008
Foodsafe Week 10–16 November
Held each year at the start of summer, Foodsafe Week is a timely reminder to families about how they can prevent contracting a foodborne illness
Foodsafe Week is when the New Zealand Foodsafe Partnership promotes safe food practices throughout New Zealand, this year with a particular emphasis on getting the messages out to youth.
To encourage and reward students to learn about foodsafe behaviour, NZFSA can supply teachers with a selection of free prizes and resources for classes, such as balloons, magnets and stickers. Posters and pamphlets are also available.
Classroom activities
There are many ways teachers can bring foodsafe activities into the classroom:
• have students guess how many cases of foodborne illness there are in New Zealand each year (hunt through this issue of Food Focus to find an answer)
• run a creative foodsafe slogan competition or have students invent their own foodsafe characters
• design special masks for these characters and have a parade or have them deliver messages around the school
• teach students how to read a thermometer and then get them to check their home fridge (it should be between 2°C and 4°C).
FBI Case Files coming to you
A new resource coming soon for schools is the ‘FBI Case File’ display. This display was used at the Hamilton Fieldays with NZFSA’s specially designed ‘crime scene’ stand.
The Fieldays stand can’t be transported but NZFSA is developing a mobile equivalent. Three pull-up flat stands will soon be available that replicate the ‘crime scene’. The stands can be set up in a classroom or library and students can ‘solve’ the crimes with the help of clues in the ‘FBI Case File’ booklet.
The clues revolve around the 4Cs food safety message (clean, cook, cover, chill) and the 20+20 hand wash rule.
If your school would like to use the display for a classroom activity please contact NZFSA’s helpline on 0800 693 721 or email info@nzfsa.govt.nz.
About the Foodsafe Partnership
The New Zealand Foodsafe Partnership is made up of Public Health Units, NZFSA, industry, consumer organisations and food sector organisations. It was set up to provide clear consistent advice on how people can keep themselves and others safe from foodborne illness.
The Partnership has two mascots – Foodsafe Freddie and his cousin Foodsafe Feleti, who are used to promote safe food handling practices through television and radio advertising, promotional materials and in person at events.