Introduction

In 2007, the Universities of Rhode Island and Massachusetts were awarded a NIFSI grant (2007-5110-03816) by the USDA entitled “Food Safety Education to Assist Residential Childcare Institutions (RCCIs) in the Development and Implementation of a HACCP-based Food Safety Plan”. The goal of this project was to train and assist RCCI personnel to develop and implement a HACCP-based food safety plan as required by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act. This requirement includes all schools/organizations who participate in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs such as Residential Childcare Facilities.

Food Safety Education to Residential Childcare Institutions (RCCIs): Food Safety Basics Training

The materials and resources developed during the project were pilot tested, reviewed and revised in an effort to reflect the needs of smaller RCCI facilities (20 residents or less); but larger facilities will also find the resources very helpful. The program includes a curriculum with “hands-on” activities for personnel that are designed to assist the RCCIs developing and implementing a food a implement a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) based food safety program. The curriculum focuses on staff training. The training is divided into three modules:

Module 1 focuses on the cause and prevention of foodborne illness using the four  Fight BAC! / Be Food Safe Principles: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill.  

Module 2 focuses on the development of a food safety plan using process Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).  Participant activities, along with charts and fact sheets necessary to complete them are located in the training manual.

Module 3 focuses on the contents and development of the food safety plan. Included in this module are sample documents and data collection forms that are required for the completion and implementation of the plan.

The curriculum materials include:

1. Power Point presentations for Modules one and two
   

   Module One

   Module two

2. RCCI Staff Training Manual:  Modules 1 and 2 power point presentations note pages, participant activities and module evaluations. The appendix includes food safety data collection forms and fact sheets. The manual also includes a section on food safety education for RCCI residents using a video (See below) developed for this audience.
   RCCI Staff Training Manual
3. Instructor Training Manual: Includes an extensive teaching outline for each module, all educational resources in the staff training manual and other supporting educational      materials and certificates of completion for each module.
   Instructor Training Manual
4. Food Safety Kit Booklet A listing of suggested food safety items that could be used by RCCI facilities in implenting their food safety plan (e.g. sanitizer test strips, color cutting boards, and digital thermometer, and data collection log sheets.
   Food Safety Kit Booklet
5. Food Safety Smart Video: Food Safety Education for Residential Childcare Institutions 
   This video can be used by RCCI staff for resident food safety training. The 15 minute Food Safety Smart video is based on the USDA FIGT BAC ! Principles:    Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill. Divided into 7 chapters, it features teenagers preparing a meal.  Each chapter is illustrates poor food safety behavior and then demonstrates the        correct food safety behaviors accompanied by explanations.
   Video Download Options:  
   
6. Food Safety Plan Template:  This is a word document that may be tailored to meet the specific needs of an RCCI.  All the required forms and data collection sheets for the development and implementation of a comprehensive food safety plan are included with the template.

   Food Safety Plan Template (Word document)

 

All of the curriculum resources may be downloaded free of charge on the University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension Food Safety Education Website: https://web.uri.edu/foodsafety/.

Printed copies of the curriculium and video as well as a flash drive with all resources are also available for $65.00 by completing the order form below.  For more information contact:  Dr Lori Pivarnik, PhD, Coordinator of Food Safety Outreach and Research at pivarnik@uri.edu
Download RCCI Curriculum Package Order Form