Food & Cooking: Cooking & Kitchen Safety

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Troop 883 Food & Cooking

About Cooking & Kitchen Safety

Cooking and kitchen safety aims to prevent accidents from happening while preparing food, cooking, or working in the kitchen, as well as prevent bacteria and food-born illnesses with proper cleanup – even if it is outdoors.

See also the Troop 883 First Aid Guide for information on treating different types of situations, such as burns.

Kitchen Safety

A kitchen or area outdoors used for a kitchen, should be kept clean, organized, free of clutter, and minimum number of workers. This is true whether using a kitchen indoors (at home, in a cabin, etc.) or outdoors (make-shift, picnic table, other, etc.).

Basic Layout
Areas of work are segregated into what are called zones. The layout of zones is important to maximize safety and the efficiency of work. Picnic tables present safety issues as an outdoor kitchen because of the benches and often, they are uneven or worn. In such cases, the most cleared and safe area should be reserved for cooking. Note that a fire pit may be the cooking zone! The kitchen should be separate and away from where people eat. People who are not assigned kitchen duty should stay clear of the kitchen.

Food Prep Zones
These zones are used to prepare food PRIOR to cooking, whether it is chopping, cutting, mixing, or stirring. Always have a prep zone for fresh foods (fruits, vegetables, breads) separate from one for proteins (poultry, meats, and seafood). Additional prep zones may be required if food allergies are in play. Prep zones should be across or away from other, and across or away from any cooking zone. Obstructions, unnecessary items, and debris should be clear of any prep zone for safety.

Cooking Zones
The cooking zone is where cooking occurs, whether a its a backpacking or camp stove, bed of coals, grill, or fire pit. It could be even be a makeshift solar oven. Regardless the area should have only the bare minimum utensils, cookware, food, and cooks in the area. It should be free of obstructions and clean.

Cleanup Zone
The cleanup zone is where cookware, dishes, and utensils are cleaned. Scouts can reuse the areas for the other zones once food prep and cooking are completed and cleaned for the cleanup zone, but separate area is recommended (there are even pioneering projects for this!). The cleanup zone should contain FOUR areas to be used in order:
– WASH tub – HOT soapy water with a scrub pad and/or sponge for dirty dishes, cookware, and utensils
– RINSE tub – HOT clean water to rinse washed dishes, cookware, and utensils
– SANITIZE tub – COOL clean water with a sanitizer to kill bacteria
– DRY area – towel or dry pad where items can be set to be dried, picked up, and put away
See also ‘Three-bin Washing’ in the information on Camping at the BSA’s troop leader site.

Cooking Safety

ALWAYS have a first aid kit on hand
ALWAYS maintain hygiene (wash and keep your hands clean, no dangling hair)
ALWAYS keep flammable items away from heat sources (paper/dish towels, pot holders, aerosols)
ALWAYS wear proper clothing (closed toe shoes, no dangling or loose clothes)
NEVER have the gas stoves turned on OR lit unless in use
NEVER leave a cooking element, open flame, hot coals, or going fire pit unattended
ALWAYS use pot holders, dry pads or hot-pot tongs to handle or place heated pans
ALWAYS use cooking and serving utensils to handle hot food
Hot liquids or grease can cause burns, so be sure to avoid spills and splatters
Knives are knives – use sharp ones and remember the blood circle
Only the bare minimum number of cooks should be cooking and in the area

Beware of Heat
Boiling water occurs at 212° F. The smoke point of olive oil is nearly 500° F! The natural gas flame on a camping stove is nearly 3500° F! Liquids, oil, cookware, and food that is overheating should be removed from the heat source until a desired state or temperature is reached – in the case of gas stoves, the element and gas should be turned off.
See also ‘Cooking safety’ in the information on Cooking at the BSA’s troop leader site.