Experts remind food safety issues to pay attention to

Recently, the Ministry of Education issued the "Compulsory Education Curriculum Plan and Curriculum Standards (2022 Edition)" (hereinafter referred to as "Standards"), pointing out that from September 2022, labor class will become an independent course in primary and secondary schools

Although there is still a period of time before the implementation of the "Standard", many parents have begun to provide children's kitchen utensils for their children

The market is mixed

At present, there are various styles of children's kitchen utensils circulating in the market, and the price ranges from fifty to sixty yuan to several hundred yuan according to the number of accessories

Although the merchants stated that the products meet the relevant national standards for food safety in terms of heavy metals and sensory requirements, however, some parents have given negative comments on children's kitchen utensils, focusing on the materials and workmanship of children's kitchen utensils, and there are potential safety hazards in the cooking process.

"It's too dangerous to use on children, the heating temperature is not enough, and it's easy to scratch the child's hands

On the other hand, for "real cooking" kitchen utensils for children, merchants seldom take the initiative to indicate the raw materials

In this regard, Professor Liu Shaowei, a member of the expert group of the Shanghai Food Safety Research Association, pointed out that the materials used for cookware and other kitchen utensils must meet the food-grade standard "National Food Safety Standard for Food Contact Metal Materials and Products", and tableware needs to reach at least 304 stainless steel grade

It is understood that general plastic products will be marked "identity" with numbers 1-7 at the bottom of the product

Wu Xiaomeng, associate professor at the School of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, pointed out that compliant appliances must be used, and plastic products that meet national standards can be safely used

Strictly strengthen supervision

"The key to the safety of children's kitchen utensils is the manufacturer

"For the regulatory authorities, it is necessary to strengthen the supervision of children's kitchen utensils, and put forward more specific requirements according to the characteristics of children

In addition to the safety of kitchen utensils, Liu Shaowei also pointed out that parents and schools should pay more attention to cultivating a more comprehensive food safety concept for students

According to the relevant labor curriculum standards, in terms of cooking, students in grades 1 to 2 should participate in simple home cooking tasks, such as choosing vegetables, washing vegetables, etc.

Liu Shaowei suggested that before learning these cooking skills, students should first be taught relevant knowledge of food safety, "such as separating raw and cooked food, the central temperature of the ingredients should be at least 70 to 80 degrees Celsius, avoid cross-infection in the refrigerator, and wash your hands properly

　　For children's kitchen utensils, and education experts pointed out that the value of labor does not lie in the utensils, but in the labor itself

　　(Comprehensive arrangement by Yang Xiaojing)

"China Food News" (May 26, 2022 03 edition)

　　(Editor-in-charge: Yang Xiaojing)