The refrigerator safari - An educational tool for undergraduate students learning about the microbiological safety of food

Purpose - Food-borne infection remains a major public health concern and it is important that healthcare professionals in training understand the epidemiology of gastro-intestinal infection and strategies for its prevention. This article describes a student selected component (SSC), i.e. an element which supplements the core curriculum for undergraduate medical students and its use as an educational tool. Design/methodology/approach - The SSC incorporated a refrigerator safari in which students examined a number of domestic refrigerators for factors which might affect adversely the microbiological quality of the food within them as well as determining refrigerator temperatures with a sensitive thermometer. Findings - The refrigerator safaris, although small in number (n = 25) highlighted a number of frequently occurring factors such as unacceptable refrigerator temperatures and foods which had passed their use by/best before dates. Student feedback indicated that the safari was much appreciated as a practical way of learning about food safety. Originality/value - The refrigerator safari is a novel method for the teaching of undergraduate students about food hygiene in the domestic setting and emphasises that consumers have important roles and responsibilities in protecting themselves from food-borne infection.