The Nébih Education Program team held an educational program for children at the Mátra Sástó Camping in a true camp spirit and relaxed, informal mood while discussing serious topics such as food safety and food waste.
After our arrival, the children were divided into two teams based on whether they wanted to learn more about food safety or food waste.
At the beginning of the food safety session, we discussed together why it’s important to familiarize ourselves with this topic. Surprisingly, nearly 80% of foodborne illnesses are attributed to poor sanitation and unsafe food handling practices in households. Examples of poor practices include a lack of thorough handwashing, washing raw meat in the sink, or not using separate cutting boards for different types of ingredients.
During the heatwave, it is especially important to consider the order in which we buy the various foods and to handle the products that require refrigeration. This becomes even more crucial in this camp setting where the children are responsible for the daily shopping and pasta with cottage cheese has been included in this week’s menu.
We have also explained to the children how food waste is connected to food safety and introduced weekly challenges for them. They had to appoint chidren responsible for handwashing, managing the refrigerator, and overseeing the shopping. Success in these tasks will rely heavily on teamwork and the knowledge sharing. Additionally, the children also will have the opportunity to measure their own food waste and keep a diary of it.