NEW APPROACH
TERM/WEEK: THIRD TERM/ WEEK 6
DATE: 4th July, 2020
CLASS: Grade 4
SUBJECT: Pre-vocational Studies
TOPIC: Cooking Tools and Safety/Food Safety.
REFERENCE: Lantern Comprehensive Pre-Vocational Studies – Book 5.
BRIEF EXPLANATION:
Cooking tools and equipment are very important for food preparation and storage. They should be carefully selected and properly taken care of. Cooking tools and equipment are made from different types of materials such as glass, wood, metal and plastic.
Notes for the Pupils
Cooking Tools
Cooking tools are cooking utensils used during and after meal preparation at home. They are generally grouped into three categories below according to their usage:
- Measuring tools: These are used to measure ingredients such as sugar, flour, salt, water and oil.
Examples are: measuring cups and jars, kitchen scale.
- Mixing tools: These are used to mix ingredients.
Examples are:
- Whisk
- mixing bowl
- wooden spoon
- mortar and pestle
- spatula
- Cutting and chopping tools: These are used for peeling or cutting ingredients into smaller pieces.
Examples are:
- Various types of knives
- Chopping board
- Grater
- Potato slicer
- Fish scissors
Besides these three groups, there are many other tools used in cooking. They include the following:
- Frying pans
- Baking shat
- Sauce pans
- Stock post
- Strainers
- Perforated spoons
- Skimmers
- Oven cloths
- Roast tray
- Kettles
- Sieve
- Colanders
- Draining wire
- Casserole dishes
- Tea towels
- Rolling pins
Cooking Equipment
These are large cooking materials which are usually stationed in certain areas in the kitchen.
They are only moved during major cleaning exercises. Examples include:
- Gas/electric cookers
- Pressure cookers
- Tables
- Blenders
- Dish washing machines
- Microwave ovens.
- Sinks
- Food mixers
- Refrigerators/freezers
- Kerosene stoves
Meaning of Food Safety
Harmful bacteria grow in food due to poor handling, preparation and storage. When such food is eaten, it can cause food poisoning and other types of illnesses.
Food safety means handling and storing food in ways that prevent food from becoming contaminated, causing food borne illness.
Guidelines for Ensuring Food Safety
- Handling
(a) Raw food should not be allowed to come in contact with cooked food to prevent cross contamination.
(b) Household pests such as rats, cockroaches and flies should be prevented from entering into the kitchen. This can be done by ensuring that all inlets to the kitchen are properly secured. Rats have been recently been linked to a type of sickness called Lassa fever.
- Preparation:
(a) Proper hygiene must be observed during food preparation. For examples, hands should be washed before, during and after food preparation.
(b) Raw fruits and vegetables must be properly washed before consumption or processing.
(c) correct cooking methods must be used to ensure that food is properly cooked to kill all harmful bacteria.
(d) Only water from good source should be used in food preparation.
- Storing:
All cooking tools and equipment must be properly washed and stored after use.
Exercises/Assignment
- What is food safety
- Mention three cooking tools and state their uses.