Possibly more than at any time in living memory, people are thinking about the importance of hygiene.
There is an amplified need for hygienic handling of food and utensils in cooking classes. Consequently, teachers all around the globe are looking for new and innovative ways to manage the new normal in their teaching kitchens.
A very simple, and suitably visual way of safely handling food is by using colour coded kitchen equipment.
DOWNLOAD Free Food Safety Poster
Tools for Schools follows the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) colour coding system, which was co-developed by no less than NASA in an effort to clearly identify and prevent hazards and contamination in food preparation.
The HACCP system colour codes food categories as follows:
Blue = Seafood
Yellow = Raw Poultry
Green = Fruit & Veg
White = Dairy & Bakery
Red = Raw Meat
Brown = Cooked Meat
Other non-HACCP colour codes are emerging, such as:
Purple = Allergenic Foods
Pink = Vegan
Black = Bar Use
It is important to provide both teaching staff and students with reminders of how this system works, such as using hanging posters in the kitchen, like the complementary A3 sized poster that you can download here.
What Kitchen Equipment Can Be Colour Coded?
Colour Coded Chopping Boards
Probably the most used, or usually misused, are colour coded chopping boards.
Coloured boards are designed to isolate different ingredients in order to prevent cross-contamination. For example, raw meat should be prepared on red boards, and vegetables on green boards.
Tools for Schools has colour coded chopping boards available here.
Colour Coded Knives
If we are going to cut raw meat on a red chopping board, it only makes sense to use a red handled knife, especially in a training kitchen.
Also, using colour coded knives helps to ensure that the right blade is used on the right food category, which will protect your knife and prep the foodstuff correctly.
Tools for Schools has colour coded knives available here.
Colour Coded Tongs
Tongs are constantly used in food prep and service, therefore can easily be the cause of food contamination. Therefore, colour coded tongs are important utensils to transfer food safely.
Tools for Schools has colour coded tongs available here.
If you need any advice on food safety utensils and equipment, please don’t hesitate to contact our knowledgeable staff: [email protected] or 1800 852 211 Any advice on space travel should be directed to NASA.
