Home economics

• Home Management


  The efficient running of the home
• Home Management tasks


  • Budgeting
  • Child care
  • Cleaning and maintenance
  • Cooking
  • Gardening
  • Laundry
  • Shopping
• Good home management


  • Using resources wisely to achieve goals
  • Allows you to achieve what you set out to achieve
  • When a home is run efficiently, money is not wasted, the home is kept clean and tidy, laundry is done and the family tends to eat more healthily
• Aim of home management is to provide a healthy and happy environment for the family
• Because of today's busy lifestyles, efficient home management is even more important
• All family members should be involved in the running of the home
• Management system


  1. Goal

  2. Resources

  3. Plan

  4. Action

  5. Evaluation
• Goal


  • What you want to achieve
• Resource


  • Something we use to achieve our goals, e.g. using the money to buy a car
• Resources for home management

  • Time
  • Human energy
  • Skill
  • Money (and what money can buy)
• Good home management system

  1. Decide goals

  2. Think about resources needed

  3. Make a plan

  4. Carry out the action

  5. Evaluate how well goals were achieved
• Weekly cleaning roster/work routine

  1. List all the jobs that need to be done and divide them up according to how often they have to be done

  2. Divide the jobs according to how much free time the person has and how old they are

  3. Make sure two or three weekly jobs are done every day and that one occasional job is done every week

  4. Try out the roster and change it if necessary
• Food spoilage


  When food goes rotten or bad
• Causes of food spoilage

  • Enzymes
  • Micro-organisms (moulds, yeast and bacteria)
• Enzymes


  Naturally present in fruit and vegetables, cause them to ripen and eventually rot
• Moulds


  Cause a fluffy beard to grow on bread, fruit and vegetables, many moulds are useful (e.g. penicillin, cheese making)
• Yeast


  Will attack some foods, such as jam, but has positive uses in bread making, brewing and winemaking
• Bacteria


  If they multiply too much, they cause food to go off and can also cause food poisoning
• Food poisoning


  Occurs when bacteria multiply to unacceptable levels on food and then the food is eaten
• Symptoms of food poisoning

  • Cramps
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhoea
• Campylobacter


  Can be found in raw poultry and meat, unpasteurised milk and untreated water, pets with diarrhoea can also be a source, can cause food poisoning
• Salmonella


  Occurs naturally in the intestines of animals and humans, found in human and animal faeces, causes no problem until faeces (even tiny amounts) get onto food and food is not cooked, or not cooked enough, to kill the Salmonella
• Staphylococci


  Often found in the nose, throat and skin of humans, especially on boils and sores, when people sneeze or cough over food or handle it with uncovered sores, they risk causing this form of food poisoning
• Listeria


  Likes to grow on foods such as soft cheese, pâté and coleslaw, also likes cold temperatures and can multiply even in the fridge, babies, pregnant women and the elderly are most affected and should avoid the foods mentioned above
• E. coli


  The name given to a large family of bacteria commonly found in the intestines of humans and animals, most E. coli are harmless, but E. coli 0157 can cause serious illness in humans
• Watch What Exactly Is Food Poisoning? on YouTube, uploaded by DNews
• Five conditions needed for micro-organisms (germs) to grow

  • Food
  • Moisture
  • Air
  • Warmth
  • Time
• Cross-contamination


  Happens when bacteria and viruses transferred onto food from other foods, surfaces, hands or equipment
• Four main ways food is infected by bacteria

  • Unhygienic people
  • Pets, vermin and insects
  • Dirt and grease
  • Cross-contamination
• Hygiene


  The things that you do to keep yourself and your surroundings clean to stay healthy and to reduce the risk of food poisoning and contamination, e.g. wash your hands to prevent cross-contamination
• Food hygiene guidelines relate to

  • The food handler
  • The food itself
  • The kitchen in which the food is prepared
• Food handler guidelines


  • Wear an apron
  • Tie back or cover hair
  • Wash hands and remove jewellery
  • Cover cuts and sores
  • Never cough or sneeze over food
  • Handle food as little as possible; don't handle food when ill; don't lick fingers or utensils
• Food guidelines


  • Check expiry dates
  • Keep food covered
  • Store perishables in the fridge
  • Reheat leftovers thoroughly
  • Prepare and store raw meat, fish and chicken separately from cooked food or food eaten raw
  • Cook poultry, meat and fish thoroughly
• Kitchen guidelines


  • No pets in the kitchen
  • No smoking in the kitchen
  • Keep all surfaces, equipment and utensils spotlessly clean and dry
  • Disinfect floor, sink and fridge regularly
  • Cloths and mops should be very clean
  • Empty bin daily, disinfect regularly
• Safety


  The state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm, e.g. protected from food poisoning
• HACCP


  An international food safety system that is required by law in Ireland for any business selling or providing food to others, stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points, works by identifying potential risk areas in advance and then putting systems in place to minimise their risk
• Chopping board colour coding

  • Red — Raw meat
  • Blue — Raw fish
  • Yellow — Cooked meat
  • Green — Salad and fruit
  • Brown — Vegetables
  • White — Bakery and dairy
• High-risk foods for food poisoning

  • Cream
  • Milk
  • Meat
  • Poultry
  • Eggs
  • Soup
  • Gravy
  • Stock
  • Reheated dishes
• How to reduce the risk of food poisoning

  • Maintain high standards of personal hygiene when handling and preparing food
  • Store food properly
  • Maintain high levels of kitchen hygiene, including bins, cloths and worktops
  • Dispose of food waste carefully
• Types of food storage

  • Perishable foods (store in the refrigerator at 4°C)
  • Chilled foods (store in the fridge at 4°C)
  • Semi-perishable (store in the fridge at 4°C)
  • Non-perishable (store in a press)
  • Frozen (store in the freezer at –18°C or below and never refreeze)
  • Fresh fruit and vegetables (remove the packaging and store in a cool, well-ventilated space)