Safe Food Handling

Overview

In this lesson (Lesson 2 of 7), students build on the unit “Cooking Through Technology” by learning core food hygiene practices: handwashing and preventing cross-contamination. You will demonstrate correct techniques and students will role-play hygiene scenarios to practise safe habits.

Learning intentions

• Students will understand how poor hygiene can cause foodborne illnesses.
• Students will learn and demonstrate the correct handwashing technique for food preparation.
• Students will identify cross-contamination risks and describe how to prevent them.

Success criteria

• I can explain that germs can spread from hands, surfaces, and raw food to other foods.
• I can give at least two reasons poor hygiene can lead to foodborne illness.
• I can demonstrate a full handwashing routine (including times, soap, and drying).
• I can describe one practical way to stop cross-contamination in the kitchen.

Curriculum links

• Cooking and nutrition: selecting and preparing ingredients safely (including hygiene routines).
• Cooking and nutrition: applying knowledge of health and nutrition principles to keep food safe.
• Cooking and nutrition: becoming competent in cooking techniques that involve using utensils/equipment responsibly.
• Cooking and nutrition: recognising how taste/texture matter alongside safe handling of ingredients (linking practical cooking to health).

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Starter: Germ Catch. Teacher shows two “before/after” pictures: clean hands vs. touching face/phone then touching food. Students discuss: “Where could germs travel?”

2. 5–12 min · Direct teach: Foodborne illness basics. Teacher explains (briefly) how germs spread and why this matters when preparing food; uses a simple “germs → food → people” chain. Students note 2–3 key ideas on a hygiene mini-card.

3. 12–22 min · Demonstration: Handwashing technique. Teacher demonstrates step-by-step handwashing (wet hands, soap, scrub front/back/between fingers/thumbs/nails, rinse, dry thoroughly, turn off taps safely). Students watch and use a laminated sequence card to track each step.

4. 22–30 min · Guided practice: Hands on. In small groups, students practise the routine at the sink using the class sequence guide; teacher checks form and timing, and prompts correct drying. Students self-assess using the checklist: “Did we scrub? Did we dry?”

5. 30–40 min · Role-play: Cross-contamination scenarios. Teacher assigns each student a role card (e.g., “Raw chicken handler,” “Snack assembler,” “Surface cleaner”). Students act out a scenario, then freeze and answer: “What hygiene mistake happened? What should they do instead?”

6. 40–45 min · Exit ticket: Explain + demonstrate. Students complete a short response: (a) one sentence explaining how poor hygiene leads to illness, (b) one step that prevents cross-contamination. Teacher does quick verbal checks while students pack away.

Resources

• Handwashing step-by-step illustrated guide (tiered printouts)
• Laminated handwashing checklist for student self-assessment
• Role-play scenario cards (cross-contamination examples)
• Sink area supervision plan and disposable paper towels
• Soap, bins for waste, and clean kitchen cloths/paper for drying
• Hygiene mini-cards for notes
• Timer (phone/clock) for handwashing timing
• 4-tier worksheet pack (differentiated by support level)
• Dyslexia-friendly sentence starters (printed, not handwritten in full)

Assessment

• Teacher observation during sink practice using a simple checklist (correct steps + drying).
• Formative questioning during role-play: “What risk is present?” and “How do we fix it?”
• Exit ticket checks for accurate explanation of germs spreading and at least one prevention method.

Differentiation

• Tier 1 (SEND support): very short step cards with icons; sentence starters like “Poor hygiene can cause ___ because ___.”
• Tier 2 (supported): standard step sequence with a few key words missing for students to fill in.
• Tier 3 (secure): scenario analysis requires a full explanation of the mistake and the correct hygiene action.
• Tier 4 (challenge): students create a “hygiene rule” for the kitchen and justify it with a chain-of-events statement (“germs from… to…”).
• During role-play, offer sentence stems to reduce cognitive load (e.g., “First, they should…, Then…”).
• Dyslexia-friendly options: short, simple texts; illustrated guide for handwashing; colour-coded steps and checklists; fewer words on each worksheet section.

Extension (optional—advanced learners)

• Research task: students choose one foodborne illness (e.g., salmonella, E. coli, norovirus) and prepare a 30–60 second class presentation including: symptoms (in simple language), how people usually catch it, and one prevention method related to hygiene.
• Provide a one-page research scaffold with headings and a “key facts” box to support faster planning.