Safe-T and the H-squad help kids fight food poisoning

Thursday 15 June 2000

Dynamic good guys Safe-T and the H-Squad swing into action today in a brand-new teaching pack for primary school children in Wales.

The food hygiene pack, The adventures of Safe-T and the H-Squad, is launched by the newly-established Food Standards Agency Wales. The launch takes place at Mount Stuart Primary School, Adelaide Street, Cardiff at 10.00.

The pack teaches children about best practice in food hygiene via a classic goodies-and-baddies scenario: the H[ygiene]-Squad, led by the dynamic Safe-T in her natty purple cat-suit, versus the deadly Pathogens. It includes a teachers' guide, pupil activity sheets, posters, a board game and an interactive website. The pack, which is funded by the European Commission, is being made available throughout the UK.

It will be sent free of charge to all primary schools in Wales within the next month.

Ann Hemingway, Chair of the FSA's Welsh Advisory Committee and member of the UK FSA Board, will introduce the pack and the children will then be able to sample the activities. These include Bubbles & Slime, a life-sized version of the pack's Snakes-and-Ladders-style board game featuring all nine of the characters, a game on the website and a practical demonstration of good food hygiene practice from award winning chef and broadcaster Robert Rees.

Jane Hutt, Assembly Secretary for Health and Social Services, says, "Knowing the correct way to handle and prepare food is a skill we all need. There is no better time to learn than in childhood, and this teaching pack, through its colourful, creative and involving design will help ensure that this and future generations of Welsh children will acquire the best habits at an early age."

Inspired by research which showed 65% of British children in this age group(1) prepare or help prepare the family evening meal but few know anything about basic food hygiene(2), the pack forms part of an European Union-wide food safety campaign. It was developed under the UK Food Hygiene Initiative in Schools and supported by a consortium representing a wide range of interests including consumer groups, the food and farming industries, public health organisations and the Government. The launch has been timed to coincide with National Food Safety Week 2000.

Catherine Eva, Head of EC Representation in Wales, says, "The UK Food Hygiene Initiative is part of an information campaign on food safety which the EC has been running since 1998. A recent survey(3) has indicated a high level - 68% - of concern across the EU about the safety of foodstuffs."

Office of National Statistics, General Register Office for Scotland and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
Research with 7-10 year olds, Carrick James, Jan 2000.
Euro Barometer survey.
More Details:
Julian Moruzzi
Food Standards Agency Wales
1st Floor Southgate House
Wood St
Cardiff CF10 1EW.

Tel: 029 2067 8906
Fax: 029 2067 8918

e-mail: julian.moruzzi@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

Notes for Editors:

The launch will take place at Mount Stuart Primary School on Adelaide Street in Cardiff, starting at 10.00AM. The acting headmistress is Yvonne Scott; telephone no: 029 2048 1188.

The address of the interactive website is www.food.gov.uk
The English launch took place at Our Lady's RC School in Camden on March 8th.

National Food Safety Week is organised by the Food and Drink Federation. For details, contact Kate Snowden or Jackie Dowthwaite on 020 7420 7131/7132.

The pack is supported by a consortium comprising the following organisations:

British Nutrition Foundation
British Retail Consortium
Chartered Institute of Environmental Health
Consumers' Association
Dept of Education and Employment
Dept of Health
Food and Drink Federation
General Consumer Council for Northern Ireland
Health Education Board for Scotland
Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland
Health Promotion Division/National Assembly for Wales
Meat and Livestock Commission
Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food
National Farmers' Union
National Farmers' Union for Scotland
Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Food and Drink Trading Council
Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland
Scottish Consumer Council
The Scottish Executive
Ulster Farmers' Union

ENDS

1st Floor, Southgate House,
Wood Street,
Cardiff CF10 1EW

Telephone: 029 20 678915
Fax: 029 20 678918/9
Email: kathryn.corcoran@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk