Food workers are preparing lunch at an elementary school cafeteria. What food item should NOT be offered?

Food workers are preparing lunch at an elementary school cafeteria. What food item should NOT be offered?

• A. Fresh fruit
• B. Undercooked hamburger
• C. Cooked rice
• D. Plain yogurt

Answer: (B)

In a school lunch setting, foods must be cooked to safe temperatures to prevent foodborne illness, especially for children. Ground beef is mixed with bacteria throughout during grinding, so if the hamburger is undercooked, these pathogens can survive. That’s why an undercooked hamburger should not be offered to elementary students; it poses a higher risk of illness than the other options. Fresh fruit is safe when washed and served as part of a meal; cooked rice is fine when it’s fully cooked and kept at safe temperatures; plain yogurt is safe if it’s made from pasteurized milk and kept refrigerated.

In a school lunch setting, foods must be cooked to safe temperatures to prevent foodborne illness, especially for children. Ground beef is mixed with bacteria throughout during grinding, so if the hamburger is undercooked, these pathogens can survive. That’s why an undercooked hamburger should not be offered to elementary students; it poses a higher risk of illness than the other options.

Fresh fruit is safe when washed and served as part of a meal; cooked rice is fine when it’s fully cooked and kept at safe temperatures; plain yogurt is safe if it’s made from pasteurized milk and kept refrigerated.