The refrigerator safari: An educational tool for undergraduate students learning about the microbiological safety of food

Abstract

Purpose

Food‐borne infection remains a major public health concern and it is important that healthcare professionals in training understand the epidemiology of gastro‐intestinal infection and strategies for its prevention. This article describes a student selected component (SSC), i.e. an element which supplements the core curriculum for undergraduate medical students and its use as an educational tool.

Design/methodology/approach

The SSC incorporated a refrigerator safari in which students examined a number of domestic refrigerators for factors which might affect adversely the microbiological quality of the food within them as well as determining refrigerator temperatures with a sensitive thermometer.

Findings

The refrigerator safaris, although small in number (n=25) highlighted a number of frequently occurring factors such as unacceptable refrigerator temperatures and foods which had passed their use by/best before dates. Student feedback indicated that the safari was much appreciated as a practical way of learning about food safety.

Originality/value

The refrigerator safari is a novel method for the teaching of undergraduate students about food hygiene in the domestic setting and emphasises that consumers have important roles and responsibilities in protecting themselves from food‐borne infection.

Citation

Breen, A., Brock, S., Crawford, K., Docherty, M., Drummond, G., Gill, L., Lawton, S., Mankarious, V., Oustayiannis, A., Rushworth, G. and Kerr, K.G. (2006), "The refrigerator safari: An educational tool for undergraduate students learning about the microbiological safety of food", British Food Journal, Vol. 108 No. 6, pp. 487-494. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070700610668450