Nutrition & Food Safety

Nutrition Programming

Educational programming in the area of Nutrition in New Castle county focuses on helping people make healthy food choices. Programs include "Understanding the Food Guide Pyramid," "How to Read Nutrition Labels," "Using the Dietary Guidelines to Improve Health and Eating on Your Own" (a program for seniors living as singles), "Eating Right is Basic" (a nutrition series offered by our EFNEP nutrition aides).

Nutrition Programs are offered by the Family and Consumer Educator, Master Foods Educator (MFE) volunteers and the Expanded Foods and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) nutrition assistants. Many of these programs. Master Foods Educators offer programs and staff educational displays to adults and children at places of work and at schools. The Family and Consumer Science Educator offers training primarily to para-professionals, professionals and child care providers. EFNEP nutrition aides work one-on-one with limited resources individuals and with groups to provide nutrition information, food preparation methods and cost cutting strategies.

The Foods Answer Line is a phone response system that helps consumer get questions to their nutrition, food safety and food preparation questions. The Master Foods Educators staff this number; call 302-831-COOP.

Food Safety Programming

Food Safety Education in New Castle County focuses on helping children, families and quantity food preparers learn the techniques necessary to keep food safe through proper sanitation, food handling, preparation and serving.

Food Safety is No Mystery is a program designed for quantity food preparers such as child care providers, restaurant workers, school cafeteria and volunteer food preparers. Offered by the Family and Consumer Science Educator, this program helps participants learn how to keep food safe through an humorous, informative video and program.

Master Foods Educator Volunteers and EFNEP personnel offer food safety programming during summer camps. This program offers young people the chance to learn how to prepare snack foods safely.

Kathleen Splane, the Food Safety for Youth Program Coordinator, works with the schools to train teachers and nurses how to use a specially designed curriculum. She also oversees the summer camp programs mentioned above.

Master Foods Educators offer safety tips at health fairs where they staff interactive displays and as they respond to calls on the Foods Answer Line (831-COOP).

Websites of Interest

• Resources for Small Food Processors and Potential Entrepreneurs (Penn State)
• Penn State Food Safety
• National Center for Home Food Preservation
• Utah State University Food Publications
• Ask Extension - North Dakota State University
• U.D. Food & Nutrition Publications
• Nutrition Navigator - reviews and scores nutrition sites for validity and quality informaiton
• Dr. Betsy Lieux's Home Page- interesting local food safety website
• USDA Food and Nutrition Information Center
• Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
• Dole Foods Company
• Vegetarian Resource Group
• American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• Meals for You
• National Institutes of Health
• American Heart Association
• American Diabetic Association
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• World Health Organization

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Copyright ©1997-2003 NCC Cooperative Extension. Last revised July 13, 2004 .