Courses > Food Safety

Course Overview
In the United States, it’s estimated that one in six people gets foodborne illness each year—the equivalent of about 48 million cases of foodborne illness. Many people get foodborne illness but don’t realize it. Foodborne illness can be as harmless as an upset stomach, but can commonly appear as nausea, diarrhea or vomiting. However, in some cases it can cause life-threatening illness or death. Everyone is susceptible to foodborne illness, and especially children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems. Whether you cook for yourself or for others, it’s important to be able to handle food in a safe manner.
In this course, you’ll learn how to adopt foodsafe practices to avoid foodborne illness. You’ll learn about common causes of foodborne illness and the importance of handwashing. You’ll also learn how to purchase, store, prepare and cook food in a safe manner. Finally, you’ll learn how to keep a clean and sanitary kitchen.
This unit contains eight lessons:
* Overview: Why Learn about Food Safety?
* Lesson 1: Introduction to Food Safety
* Lesson 2: Handwashing
* Lesson 3: Buying Food
* Lesson 4: Storing Food
* Lesson 5: Preparing Food
* Lesson 6: Cleaning Up
* Summary and Quiz
Course Objectives
- Identify common causes of foodborne illness
- Learn simple techniques to prepare food safely, such as handwashing
- Maintain a clean and sanitary kitchen
- Interpret signs of freshness for purchasing the freshest foods
- Store food for maximum safety and shelf-life
- Follow simple steps to avoid cross-contamination
- Cook food to optimize flavor and safety
Course Syllabus
Food Safety
Foodborne illness can be an issue both inside and outside of the home, regardless of how well we think we know our food supply chain. Symptoms can range from an upset stomach to nausea, diarrhea or vomiting. In this unit, you’ll learn techniques and habits to keep your loved ones happy and healthy.
Lesson 1
Orientation
5 tasks | 28 mins
Short description
Lesson 2
Lesson 1: Introduction to Food Safety
4 tasks | 33 mins
In this lesson, you will learn about the importance of food safety.
Lesson 3
Lesson 2: Handwashing
4 tasks | 27 mins
In this lesson, you’ll learn about when to wash your hands, and how to wash your hands properly.
Lesson 4
Lesson 3: Buying Food
4 tasks | 33 mins
In this lesson you’ll learn about foodsafe ways to buy groceries. You’ll learn what makes certain items potentially hazardous foods, and how to handle and select them safely. You’ll also learn best practices for getting food home from the grocery store in a foodsafe manner.
Lesson 5
Lesson 4: Storing Food
7 tasks | 47 mins
In this lesson, you will learn about the proper storage of food in the refrigerator and freezer, as well as dry storage. You’ll also learn about the order in which to put away groceries, how to separate food from chemicals and cleaners, and how to properly deal with leftovers.
Lesson 6
Lesson 5: Preparing Food
5 tasks | 33 mins
In this lesson, you’ll learn about cross-contamination and how to avoid it. You’ll learn about the danger zone and the importance of controlling temperature when cooking, cooling and reheating food. You’ll also learn how to use a thermometer properly and when it’s appropriate to use one, and how to microwave food safely.
Lesson 7
Lesson 6: Cleaning Up
3 tasks | 19 mins
In this lesson, you’ll learn the importance of keeping a clean kitchen, and when and how to clean it. You’ll learn the difference between cleaning and sanitizing, and how these concepts apply to food preparation surfaces like counters and cutting boards.
Lesson 8
Food Safety: Summary and Quiz
2 tasks | 40 mins
You’ve made your way through the food safety unit, and now it’s time to review the key concepts. Be sure to note any areas where you’re unsure or would like to review the content, since after the review, you’ll take a quiz on the topics that you learned.
Finish Line
4 hrs 20 mins Total Time
The Food You'll Make
Pantry
This is a collage photo of my in-kitchen pantry and my back-up pantry. I keep extra supplies in the back-up pantry of those stock i... View More
Students
25,811 students from beginner to advanced have completed this course from 76 countries.












































