A journey of discovery into the world of bacteria and viruses The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment children’s book on food safety published in English
What it's about:
Food safety explained in a child-friendly way: the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment children's book “Luis’ and Maya’s adventure in the shrinking lab: searching for clues in the kitchen” is now also available in English. Following the great success of the German version, English-speaking children can now also embark on a journey of discovery. With large illustrations and entertaining texts, Luis and Maya, together with the friendly germ Fred, dive into the world of bacteria and viruses. They learn why it is important to wash their hands regularly, how bacteria spread in the kitchen and how to store food properly in the refrigerator. “In Germany, 100,000 people fall ill every year from eating contaminated food – the hidden figure is likely much higher. For children especially it can be very dangerous because their immune systems are not yet completely developed. Our children’s book intends to make these topics accessible to even very young children and thus help them to protect themselves from foodborne diseases,” says Professor Andreas Hensel, President of the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment . “While the children do detective work, they learn in a playful way why kitchen hygiene is so important.”
The BfR children’s book is aimed at children from grade 1 upwards and can be read on the External Link:BfR website in both German and English. It can also be ordered free of charge as a printed copy.
External Link:https://www.bfr.bund.de/en/publications/childrens-books/
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), over 200 different diseases are caused by the consumption of contaminated food. Statistically speaking, one in ten people worldwide every year fall ill from foodborne infections – including children. Children are a particularly sensitive group as their immune systems are often not completely developed, and they must be protected as best as possible. For this reason the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment has set itself the task to inform even the smallest children about these topics in a playful way.
While doing detective work in the kitchen, Luis and Maya get to know different bacteria and viruses. They realise very quickly that some of these can be dangerous for humans. This includes Campylobacter, the most common bacterial pathogen of intestinal infections. Contaminated or insufficiently heated poultry meat is one of the main sources of infection. A lack of kitchen hygiene in particular can cause an infection due to cross contamination, i.e. the transfer of bacteria from one food to another. Children can learn how to avoid cross contamination and defeat “Campys” in the new BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment children’s book “Luis’ and Maya’s adventure in the shrinking lab: searching for clues in the kitchen” and its large, colourful illustrations.
About the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) is a scientifically independent institution within the portfolio of the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH). It protects people’s health preventively in the fields of public health and veterinary public health. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment provides advice to the Federal Government as well as the Federal States (‘Laender’) on questions related to food, feed, chemical and product safety. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment conducts its own research on topics closely related to its assessment tasks.
This text version is a translation of the original German text which is the only legally binding version.