If you have been charged with designing a presentation on food safety for kids, it does pay to bear in mind that the key to success in this matter is to keep things simple, and keep the concepts and practices doable for children of all ages. For example, a food safety for kids program does not need to go into the legalities behind food service work, but it should offer a very basic and elementary explanation of how germs can be transferred from foods to surfaces to humans if one is not careful. Essentially, explaining that anything a germy object touches, including hands, will need to be washed in order to avoid getting oneself, friends, and family sick should be a sufficient takeaway message for any food safety for kids program you design.
Once your food safety for kids program has handled the germ theory issue at an age appropriate level, go ahead and point out the many ways that children can help to stop the spread of germs on an everyday basis. For example, teaching about the importance of thorough dish and hand washing is a great point to emphasize in any food safety for kids program. Teach the kids the importance of washing their hands correctly and the dishes completely, and point out that countertops and other surfaces need to be cleaned completely as well. This should provide a great foundation that kids of any age can implement as soon as the lecture is over.
From there, you can touch on some other points about food safety for kids. For example, pointing out the fact that leaving perishable foods out to spoil can make people sick very easily is something to emphasize. Pointing out from there that kids can help out by simply putting leftover food in the refrigerator as soon as possible is another great way to help drive home the importance of food safety for kids in general!
