Cafeteria safety

Food-borne illnesses in schools made up just 3 percent of reported outbreaks nationwide in the 1990s, according to the latest analysis available from the U.S. General Accounting Office, the National School Boards Association reports. That translates to about 195 incidents in a decade, which is a small number, but if you’re an administrator in a district hit with an illness, the problem can be catastrophic.

Cafeteria employees must be trained to handle food properly to prevent contamination. The training starts with personal hygiene: employees must keep hands clean, wash them frequently and wear gloves to handle food. The gloves must be changed after handling waste. Employees should also keep their clothes clean and keep hair covered before entering the food area.

Employees should follow the Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures for handling food, equipment, utensils, gloves and clothing.

Only by following these important procedures can cafeteria workers keep the food they serve to children clean and healthy.