Students will explore how retail foodservice establishments ensure that food is safely stored, prepared, and served. Through inquiry they will also learn about local health regulations and how the 4 Cs of Food Safety apply to all aspects of foodservice. Grades 9-12

food safety: the practice of handling, preparing, and storing food in a way that prevents food-borne illness

1. Explain to students that Today we’re going to join Dr. X and become FBI (FoodBorne Illness) Investigators. We’ll be searching out how workers keep our food safe in the places we eat. Let’s start by thinking about the different kinds of places that we eat food. "Where have you eaten in the past 2 days?"
2. List all the places the students mention. Then ask, "Where else is food served?" Encourage students to think of as many places as possible (school cafeteria, fast-food restaurants, street vendors, state fairs, sports events, rodeos, salad bars, delis, etc.).
3. "How do you think these places make sure our food is safe to eat?"

1. Divide the class into teams of 3 to 4. Have each team select a food establishment.
2. Ask each team to develop a game plan to ensure that the food in their eatery is safe. If necessary, guide them to come up with some of the following actions:
   • Research the food safety needs of your eatery such as:
     • What types of food are prepared and served?
     • Who are the typical customers?
     • How is the safety of the food ensured …
       • During storage?
       • During preparation?
       • After preparation and before serving?
       • While serving?
     • What happens to food that’s not used?
     • How are employees trained in food safety procedures?
     • How are cleanliness and handwashing standards maintained?
     • Are there any unique machines or procedures the establishment uses to assure food safety?
     • Who are the key people involved in monitoring food safety at your eatery (managers, health department authorities, health inspectors, etc.)?
     • What role does food safety play in their daily jobs?
     • Do customers have any responsibility for food safety?
   • About the regulations and the inspectors:
     • What do food inspectors look for when they visit a food establishment?
     • What are the local, county, and state health regulations governing the food establishment?
     • How do these health regulations relate to bacterial growth and its spread?
     • How does the manager implement Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HAACP) procedures (see Food Safety A to Z Reference Guide)?
     • How does the manager implement the FDA Food Code (see Food Safety A to Z Reference Guide)?
3. Using their findings, have students: Develop a food safety plan for their eatery that includes the 4 Cs of Food Safety. For each area of the eatery that deals with a “C,” there should be a science-based explanation of how that “C” helps keep the food safe.
4. Plan a food safety training session for the employees of their eatery. Include a list of actions that the employees should follow. Give them the Food Safety Checklist to adapt to their eatery.
5. Present their plan to the class, describing what their eatery needs to do to assure the safety of the food that they serve. Encourage students to be creative. For example, they might develop an innovative presentation using PowerPoint®, web pages, posters, skits, 3-D models, etc. Limit each presentation to 3–5 minutes.
6. Identify the food safety practices that the eateries have in common. Are there any differences among the eateries? (Most practices will relate back to the 4 Cs of Food Safety: Clean, Cook, Chill, and Combat Cross-Contamination [Separate].)
7. Prepare students for video clip by saying, "Let’s join Dr. X and Tracy as they take us behind the scenes at fast-food eateries and supermarkets. Tune in, and take notes.
   • Dr. X showed us many examples of how restaurants and supermarkets practice the 4 Cs. What were they?
   • What does Dr. X imply when he says, “The responsibility for food safety is literally in your hands”?
8. Show video Module 4, Part 1 — Retail (Time: 3 minutes).

Have students summarize what they’ve learned during their FBI Investigation. Ask them to relate what they’ve learned in other modules to food safety in retail food establishments. Some probable responses include:

• There are many systems and regulations in place that guide retail establishments in preventing foodborne illness.
• Food safety is a major part of a retail food establishment’s operations. Because they might also be the final link in the farm-to-table continuum, retail establishments play an integral part in keeping our food safe.
• Handwashing is one of the most important things an employee can do to prevent foodborne illness.
• Health department professionals are scientists and food safety detectives.
• Every employee in a foodservice operation has responsibility for food safety.
• Customers have a responsibility for food safety after they purchase the food.
• If/when I work in a food service job, I need to carefully follow safe food handling and cleanliness practices.

Summarize that food safety is an important aspect of retail food establishments. There are strict science-based regulations governing foodservice. Everyone at the food establishment has responsibility for food safety — managers and all of the employees. Customers are responsible for the safety of their food once they purchase it and take it home.

The Science and Our Food Supply Curriculum was brought to you by the Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and the National Science Teachers Association.

• FDA Education Team Leader Food Safety Initiative: Marjorie L. Davidson
• FDA Science and Our Food Supply Project Director: Louise H. Dickerson
• FDA/NSTA Associate Executive Director and Science and Our Food Supply Program Director: Christina Gorski
• FDA/NSTA Science and Our Food Supply Program Assistant: Jill Heywood

• How Safe is Your Salad?