Review: Knives and Foodborne

Illness

Parts of the Knife• Edge – cutting part of the blade• Spine – top of the knife blade,

opposite the edge• Point – edge and spine come

together• Tip – forward part of knife for

detailed cutting• Heel – the rear part of edge,

opposite the point

• Bolster – joins blade to handle, provides balance and protects hand

• Tang – part of blade that extends into the handle

• Scales – joins tang to create handle• Rivets – metal pins that join the

tang to scales• Butt – end of the handle of the knife

Bread Knife

• Thick-bladed knife• 8-9 inch blade with serrated edge• Allows knife to cut through thick, hard crust

without crushing the bread• Serrations too large to cut fruits/vegetables

effectively

Butcher’s Knife

• Long blade that widens before point

• Primarily for butchering animals

• Hefty blade for splitting, stripping and cutting meat

• Good for cutting larger meat into smaller sections

Carving Knife

• Used for slicing thin cuts of meat• Much thinner blade than chef’s knife• Long blade allows large pieces of meat to be

cut into clean, even slices• Carving station at end of buffet

Chef/French

• All purpose knife• Broad blade that curves

upward toward tip (allows knife to rock)

• Used to cut, chop, and dice

Meat Cleaver

• Wide-bladed, thick-spined knife• Used to cut through meat or poultry

bones and crushing seeds or garlic• Uses its weight to cut through foods• Not meant for slicing

Grapefruit Knife

• Long, dull blade, with curved end

• Used to separate flesh of grapefruit from peel and inner membranes

• Blade is usually serrated with dull tip

Paring Knife

• Thin, small blade (3-4 inches)

• Greater amount of control• Ideal for peeling and other

intricate work

Utility/Steak Knife

• Multipurpose knife• Good for jobs that are too

big for pairing knife but not large enough for chef’s knife• Larger vegetables and

sandwich meats

• “filler” for knife sets

Safety and Sanitation

• As a group, brainstorm proper safety and sanitation procedures used in the kitchen/classroom.

Foodborne Illnesses

Did you know??

• 76 million people a year become ill due to food• 325,000 people a year are hospitalized• 5,000 people a year die from a foodborne illness

Foodborne Illnesses• E-coli – • Trichinosis – • Salmonella – • Botulism –

*Which is fatal?*What two groups are easily affected?

bacteria in rare or raw ground beef, milk, and apple cidera parasitic worm often found in pork

raw or undercooked eggs, cheese, and poultryimproperly canned foods & foods cooled slowly

Prevent Food Poisoning

• Keep hot food hot; keep cold food cold• Danger zone: 40 - 140°F

• Avoid cross contamination• Wash hands with hot, soapy water• When in doubt, throw it out!