Resources
Teacher Guide
Designed for adults working at farmers markets, this casual game teaches food safety best practices...
Other Resources
Personal Hygiene
Improving Handwashing Stations
The guide provides a general approach to a touchless handwashing station and two specific build plans. The build plans include (1) a DIY framed stand and (2) a purchased stand.
Wash Your Hands!
Hands that look clean can still have icky germs!
How It Works: Cleaning Hands with Waterless Hand Sanitizer
Components to washing with alcohol-based hand sanitizer, the proper technique, and how hand sanitizer works.
Alcohol-based Handrubs: THe New Way to Get Clean
This poster about alcohol-based handrubs could be hung near dispensers.
Cross-contamination
Theme Park Kitchen
Theme Park Kitchen supports food safety learning for middle school youth. This fun, multi-level game teaches safe food handling, including handwashing, cooking foods to the proper temperature and avoiding cross-contamination.
Preventing Cross-contamination While Preparing Foods
Microbes that can cause illness can be transferred from one item to another while preparing food at the farmers market. It is important to take precautions to prevent cross-contamination. The following lists some sources that can lead to cross-contamination and ways to prevent it.
5 Common Ways Germs are Spread
Poster teaches about cross contamination
Time/temperature Safety
Handling Eggs and Egg Products at Farmers Markets
Proper safe handling and storage of eggs, egg dishes and egg products are important to prevent bacterial contamination that leads to foodborne illness and outbreaks.
How to Handle Meat, Meat Products, and Poultry at Farmers Markets
Producers are increasingly interested in selling meat at farmers markets. Locally produced goods are popular, but the federal, state and local restrictions can be complicated. There are stringent guidelines that must be followed. The manufacturing of meat or poultry products must be inspected unless the producer or business is eligible for exemption.
How to Handle Hot Foods at Farmers Markets
If you leave food at room temperature for too long, bacteria can grow rapidly to dangerous levels that can cause illness. Bacteria grow fastest in the danger zone between 40 F and 140 F and can double in numbers in just 20 minutes.
Temperature Danger Zone
Food safety requires you to reach and maintain correct temperatures while preparing food. Pathogens can thrive in food if it is prepared or served at certain temperatures for an extended period of time, causing various illnesses. Between the time food is finished cooking and the time it is served, it is vital to keep an eye on the temperature of the food, whether the food is hot or cold.
Handling Seafood at Farmers Markets
Seafood is highly perishable. Just like other high-risk food, it is essential to handle seafood safely to prevent foodborne illnesses. Some of the items sold in farmers markets include live seafood, such as crustaceans, oysters, crawfish and shellfish, as well as raw and frozen fish, crustaceans and alligators.
Labeling & Package
Best Practices While Selling Products at Farmers Markets
Several factors are essential for a successful sale of products at the farmers market, and among them, safety and quality are the two key factors. Vendors need to sell safe and high-quality products to attract customers. The following guidelines provide useful information for farmers market vendors.
Packaging and Labeling
Packaging and labeling in food service can be just as important as the product inside the container. Packaging materials and labeling styles play a key role in branding a food product and adhering to food safety guidelines and regulations. This guide will cover the role of food packaging, the different types of materials used in packaging, and food safety requirements for labeling food products at farmers' markets in Florida.
Cleaning and Sanitation
Cleaning and Sanitation of Food Contact Surfaces
Pathogens can survive on food contact surfaces, such as countertops, worktables, refrigerators, freezers, mixers, slicers, containers, utensils, knives and cutting boards. Even the slightest contact with unsanitary surfaces can contaminate food and cause foodborne illnesses. Food contact surfaces should be cleaned and sanitized regularly to avoid contamination of food and prevent foodborne illnesses.
General
4 Steps to Food Safety
Clean, separate, cook, and chill to prevent food poisoning
Anyone Can Get Food Poisoning
Information on who is at increased risk for food poisoning and why
Food Safety Tips While Providing Samples at Farmers Markets
One of the key factors to increase sales at the farmers market is to provide food samples. In order to keep the samples free of contamination, vendors should follow proper safety tips.