Special agents recruited for food safety mission

17th June 2009, 9:57am

South Northamptonshire Council is recruiting some special secret food safety agents in schools around the district with an initiative for children to teach them the importance of food safety.

More than 500 children across the district have taken part in the scheme, run by the Council's Health Protection team, which is called 'Mission: Possible!'

Each child becomes a secret agent with a briefcase filled with special instruments for them to carry out their secret agent duties, like swabs, a thermometer, a calculator and a secret agent pen.

This method of teaching food safety is hands-on and includes a range of exercises to teach children about important issues such as understanding bacteria, food contamination and cleanliness.

Councillor Mike Hill, cabinet member responsible for environment, said: "The Council works hard to raise awareness of good food hygiene to businesses and the wider community. The Mission Possible scheme is aimed at Key Stage 2 pupils, and is a fun way to get across this important message to children and parents alike. The children get the chance to learn about these issues both in class and then will have the opportunity to put what they have learned into practice at home."

Children from Bracken Leas Primary School in Brackley were the latest to take part in 'Mission Possible!'.

Mrs Glen Hopwood, a Year 5 teacher at Bracken Leas Primary School, said: "This scheme is a really fun and practical way for children to learn about food safety and the children have really enjoyed taking part in experiments and playing the roles of special agents. Food safety is really important at any age but if we can teach children young enough, we hope the lessons learned will stay with them for life."

South Northamptonshire Council is one of four local authorities running the scheme in the East Midlands.

If your school would like to take part, please contact Karen Young, Senior Health Protection Officer on 01327 322291.

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