School meals are tasting success after achieving a 100 per cent pass rate in external examinations.
72 Department of Education employees have gained the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) Level 2 Award in Food Safety.
The staff, from all 34 schools that provide school meals, studied for the award at the Isle of Man College over three intensive days.
Chris Wilson, Schools Catering Manager, explained, "The CIEH Level 2 Award in Food Safety has been designed to address the food safety and hygiene needs of the catering, manufacturing and retail sectors."
The areas covered by the award were: legislation; food safety and hygiene standards; temperature control; refrigeration, chilling and cold holding; cooking, hot holding and reheating; food handling; principles of safe food storage; cleaning; food premises and equipment.
Education Minister Anne Craine MHK, who presented the awards to staff working at Manor Park Primary School, commented, "It is important that our School Meals Service staff have the opportunity to have their professional skills recognised.
"There are high standards of hygiene to be maintained in the preparation and delivery of our meals to children and I am very pleased not only that so many of our staff wanted to participate in this training but that they were all highly successful.
"Our School Meals Service plays a vital role in the delivery of a package of care and nurture that is integral to the life of each of our schools. I am very proud to celebrate its achievement with it."
The Schools Meals Service provides meals at primary schools. More than 450,000 meals were prepared in the last year.
Mr Wilson said, "Providing an attractive, nourishing and healthy midday meal is recognised as a vital ingredient in the school day. It not only makes a significant healthy contribution towards the children’s diet but encourages learning and develops social skills.
"Our staff are skilled in ensuring that the preparation and serving of that meal is carried out in a safe and hygienic manner. The 100% pass rate achieved by the ladies and gentlemen from our kitchens in the CIEH Level 2 Award in Food Safety is testament to this.
"Credit should not only go to the trainers and staff for their focus and diligence but to our long-serving School Meals Supervisor, Shona Fraser, who has instilled upon our staff good practices so that the subjects being taught were, to some extent, second nature."
Pictured (l-r): Tracy Conway, lecturer in hospitality and catering at IOM College; Val Larkin and Caroline Bridges, cooks at Manor Park Primary School; and Education Minister Anne Craine MHK.
