Foods and Nutrition · Lesson 3

Kitchen planning, equipment, cleaning agents, safety, first aid, hygiene, foodborne diseases and food laws

WAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

WAEC: The kitchen (types; planning; factors; cleaning agents and abrasives commercial and local); Kitchen equipment and tools (classes, selection, use, care, storage); Safety in the kitchen (accidents, causes, prevention, first-aid box, simple first aid); Sanitation in the kitchen (personal, kitchen and food hygiene, waste disposal, pests, foodborne diseases, food sanitation laws). Builds on he6.

NECO: The kitchen (types; planning; factors; cleaning agents and abrasives commercial and local); Kitchen equipment and tools (classes, selection, use, care, storage); Safety in the kitchen (accidents, causes, prevention, first-aid box, simple first aid); Sanitation in the kitchen (personal, kitchen and food hygiene, waste disposal, pests, foodborne diseases, food sanitation laws). Builds on he6.

What you will learn

Describe types and layouts of kitchens and plan a kitchen.
Classify, select, use and care for kitchen equipment.
Describe commercial and local cleaning agents and dilute bleach correctly.
Explain causes and prevention of kitchen accidents and give first aid.
State rules of personal, kitchen and food hygiene.
Describe foodborne diseases, pests and their control.
Explain food sanitation laws and agencies in Nigeria.

Key points

Traditional, modern, institutional kitchens; layouts.
Planning factors and work triangle.
Equipment classes, selection and pot materials.
Use, care, storage; running costs.
Commercial and local cleaning agents; bleach dilution.
Accidents and prevention; fat fires.
First-aid box and simple first aid.
Personal hygiene for food handlers.
Kitchen hygiene, waste, pests.
Food hygiene and foodborne diseases.
Sanitation laws and agencies.

Start here: Types of kitchens

A kitchen is a room or space where food is stored, prepared, cooked and sometimes served. The syllabus names three types.

Traditional kitchen: common in rural Nigeria; often a separate hut or shed with a three-stone fire or tripod stand, firewood or charcoal, clay pots, a mortar and pestle, grinding stone, calabashes, raffia baskets and a smoke rack (above the fire) used to dry fish, meat and grains. Advantages: cheap, uses local materials, smoke rack preserves food. Disadvantages: smoke (indoor air pollution causes eye and lung disease, especially in women and children), fire risk, poor hygiene, hard work, poor storage and lighting.
Modern kitchen: inside the house; gas or electric cooker, refrigerator, sink with running water, wall and floor units, extractor or window ventilation, tiled surfaces. Advantages: clean, efficient, saves time and energy. Disadvantages: costly to build and maintain; depends on electricity and gas supply.
Institutional kitchen: serves large numbers in schools, hospitals, hotels, barracks, factories, prisons and restaurants. Large-scale equipment (industrial cookers, steamers, boiling pans, cold rooms, dishwashers), separate areas for receiving, storage, preparation, cooking, serving and washing up; a flow from “dirty” to “clean” areas; trained staff and strict hygiene rules.

Kitchen layouts

The shape chosen depends on the size and shape of the room, the number of users, and budget. The L-shape and U-shape are efficient for family kitchens; the galley suits narrow rooms; institutional kitchens may use island cooking blocks with work stations around them.

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Practice questions

1. The work triangle joins the

sink, cooker and fridge
door, window and sink
table, chairs and shelf
store, toilet and kitchen

Show answer

A: sink, cooker and fridge
The main work centres.

2. A kitchen with work surfaces along two parallel walls is a

U-shaped kitchen
L-shaped kitchen
island kitchen
galley kitchen

Show answer

D: galley kitchen
Also called corridor.

3. Aluminium pots should NOT be cleaned with

a soft sponge
clean water
strong soda or alkali
warm soapy water

Show answer

C: strong soda or alkali
Alkali darkens and pits aluminium.

4. A good abrasive for scouring pots is

washing powder only
fine sand or ash
bleach
vinegar

Show answer

B: fine sand or ash
Local abrasives.

5. Five per cent bleach diluted to 200 ppm needs about

4 ml per litre
40 ml per litre
0.4 ml per litre
250 ml per litre

Show answer

A: 4 ml per litre
50,000 ÷ 200 = 250.

Key words

Institutional kitchen: Kitchen serving large numbers.
Work triangle: Path linking sink, cooker and fridge.
Fixture: Equipment fixed to the building.
Labour-saving appliance: Machine that reduces effort.
Abrasive: Cleaner that works by rubbing.
Detergent: Synthetic cleaner that emulsifies grease.
Disinfectant: Chemical that kills germs on surfaces.
Scald: Burn from hot liquid or steam.
Fire blanket: Sheet used to smother small fires.
First aid: Immediate help before medical care.
Food poisoning: Illness from contaminated food.
Danger zone: About 5 to 60 °C.

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