Take a moment to think back to your early years as a preschool child. Surely you will remember that the kitchen was one of the most exciting places to be?

The kitchen - a warm, inviting space, full of new, delicious smells and bright, colourful foods. A place where the hours would roll by as you watched your mum conjure up recipe after recipe. A time when licking the spoon while your dad made your favourite chocolate cake was the best feeling in the world!

As children, our memories of being in the kitchen will often be fond ones. But now as adults with our own children, we realise that the kitchen can be full of hazards for kids and we probably took for granted the steps our own parents took to keep us safe! However, the kitchen doesn't have to be a hazardous place, especially if we know how to teach our little ones how to practice basic food safety.

Whether you’re an expert on the subject and know exactly what to do, or you feel a little lost, it doesn’t hurt to brush up on the simple lessons that you can start teaching your kids. But before we do that, let’s first understand a bit more about why practicing food safety is so important, especially for our youngsters!

Why is practicing food safety important?

When you have preschool children, being in the kitchen can be fun, exciting, and even a little stressful at times. However, above all, it must always be a safe environment to be in. Although you may hear about outbreaks of foodborne illnesses happening in restaurants, they’re actually more common from mishandling food in our own kitchens. And as children in the preschool age group are particularly vulnerable, it’s important you practice basic food safety rules for serving, handling and storage, and teach your child these rules as early as they are able to learn. This way, you and your child will be safe from harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites and mould, and will get ill less often.

Also, remember that children absorb new information like a sponge does water, so getting them into a good routine of practicing food safety procedures at preschool age will set them up to practice these habits throughout their entire lives - and perhaps eventually teach them to their own children!

So, how do we help our kids put food safety into practice?

4 simple food safety lessons you can teach your child

Cleaning little hands.

At whatever age, hand washing is an absolute must in the kitchen. As this is a habit you would have already started teaching them during potty training, they will already know that it’s an important everyday ritual. To introduce cleaning hands in the kitchen, always be present when they are practicing it, to ensure they are carrying out the cleaning properly; scrubbing between fingers, etc. Talk them through the importance of washing hands before and after handling food, and explain to them why this process is needed. It will soon become as automatic as when they’re washing their hands after using the loo!

Preparing meat, poultry and fish safely.

At preschool age, your child will be a little young to take control of cooking these foods with confidence. But a good place to start is to teach them about safe preparation! Keeping raw meat, poultry and fish safe is important, not just for cleanliness but for avoiding cross-contamination. When preparing foods like these, ensure your child is watching and walk them through the motions. Explain that you never rinse these foods, and that you can’t rinse away all bacteria, such as salmonella. Explain that bacteria like this can only be killed by cooking to a very high temperature in the oven.

Preparing fruits and vegetables safely.

Teaching your child to prepare fruits and vegetables safely is an easy lesson to teach in the kitchen. Explain that before cooking, they should wash their hands, and that all produce should be thoroughly washed with clean, running water before any preparation or cooking. Instruct them to remove any spots caused by bruising or damage, as they may collect bacteria. Remember to oversee all of this activity, and correct them where they are going wrong so they learn quicker!

Cleaning utensils and chopping boards.

Cleaning utensils and chopping boards before and after preparing and cooking food is one of the most important activities you can teach your preschool child in the kitchen, as it prevents the spread of bacteria and viruses, as well as reducing the risk of cross-contamination. Try to explain in as simple a way as possible that it’s important to do this to stop any bacteria from spreading from one cutting board or utensil to another. To instil this message in a practical way, help them practice by religiously cleaning boards before and after cooking, and separating boards for fresh produce and for raw meat, poultry and fish. A good tip is to use coloured boards to avoid any confusion! After all, children love bright and colourful objects, which help them to make connections and remember important things.

How do I teach my child to handle food safely?