Schools are full of hundreds of students, so it’s a near-impossible task to personally instruct each and every one of them to wash their hands before touching food and use separate utensils for raw meat and veg. But during food technology lessons and other food prep activities, all students need to be aware of how to prevent cross contamination.
So, what can you do to help students adhere to basic food hygiene practices? Rather than make yourself hoarse repeating the same set of rules to each class, why not display some posters to help spread awareness?
Free Food Hygiene Posters For Teachers
Posters don’t need to educate on every single facet of food handling: the last thing you want to do is bombard a student whose brain is already being funnelled a ton of information.
Give pupils some understanding of basic food hygiene practices such as:
- Hygienic food preparation
- Hygienic food storage
- Maintaining personal hygiene
Students won’t bother to read an essay-length poster, so to ensure that they actually absorb the information on a poster, only a few statements – which relate to the same topic – should be printed on them. You should display more than a mostly white A4 sheet of paper with a few sentences printed in the centre. Posters should be appealing and eye-catching.
The 3 free posters we offer are attractive and easy to absorb, even from a distance.
Put these posters up outside the classroom: students can read them while they wait for the lesson to start. Stick them above sinks and the fridge in your food tech class, display them near where students queue for food in the cafeteria, above lockers… anywhere students are likely to be stood around for a while!
Don’t forget two key things for ensuring these posters remain effective in your school:
- Move and swap them around regularly. If they’re in the same place for too long, people will stop noticing them.
- Protect them from water damage or being vandalised – you know what students are like. Make sure they’re laminated and firmly secured to the wall.
Making students aware of good hygiene practices is not only important for making sure they handle food properly during classes and prevent cross contamination, but also for giving them useful knowledge that they can take into adulthood. Knowing how to properly handle food and maintain personal hygiene during food preparation is an essential life skill.
Further Resources:
- Level 3 Food Hygiene Quiz
- How Often Should I Renew My Food Hygiene and Safety Certificate?
- Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety Courses
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Post Author
Liz Burton
Liz has a degree in English and Creative Writing and is skilled at writing about technical subjects in a style that anyone can understand – she enjoys supporting people’s learning. Outside of work, Liz spends her time on hobbies such as writing, reading, gaming, and fine art.
