Now that school is out and we are spending more time with our family, inviting children into the kitchen can be a great way to create family memories and have some fun too. But it also brings the opportunity to teach children valuable cooking skills that should also include following food safety guidelines.

Recipes don’t have to be complicated! A simple fruit salad, homemade popsicles or lemonade and even a healthy trail mix can be fun. Children can also participate in the washing and drying of utensils and dishes.

World Food Safety Day is the great opportunity to draw attention to the importance of food safety for children and families and also share some fun together.

Remember the four steps to keep your family safe from food poisoning.

• Clean – wash your hands (20 seconds), surfaces, utensils, cutting boards and kitchen cleanup.
• Separate and don’t cross-contaminate! – use a separate cutting board for meats, poultry and fish and another for fresh fruits and vegetables
• Cook – use a food thermometer to measure proper internal temperatures of food before eating.
• Chill – place foods back into the refrigerator within two hours if in a controlled environment and within 1 hour if outside in warm weather.