To mark the beginning of New Zealand's annual Foodsafe Week, 10,000 primary students around the country will get hands on experience with hand hygiene thanks to Initial Hygiene's 'Hands on Hygiene' programme.

As a Foodsafe Partnership member, Initial Hygiene has launched this initiative to teach Kiwi kids about the importance of washing their hands. The nationwide programme will be rolled out to 30 schools around the country and is backed by New Zealand Food Safety Authority's Principal Adviser of Microbiology, Dr Roger Cook.

"New Zealand deals with 200,000 cases of food-borne illnesses each year, with 40 percent occurring in the home. Something as simple as hand-washing can make a real difference in reducing these numbers," says Dr Roger Cook.

As part of the programme, 10,000 primary school students will be given access to hand sanitiser, and posters with hand-washing tips will be put up around the schools.

Other Initial Hygiene initiatives during Foodsafe Week include competitions, having Foodsafe Freddie the mascot handing out hand sanitisers, and launching an interactive website to help send home the golden rules of food safety in the home - clean, cook, cover, chill - along with the 20+20 hand washing rule.

The overall aims of Foodsafe Week are to raise awareness of food-borne illnesses and emphasise the importance of hand hygiene by providing tips for preventing the spread of bacteria. Involving kids in fun, interactive activities, such as the website and competitions, is great for driving the message home.

"It's very important for children to learn about and practice good hand hygiene from a young age, especially when it comes to food. The initiatives running throughout Foodsafe Week are a fantastic way to get people thinking about this very serious issue," says Dr Cook.

With the hand-washing habits of the New Zealand public leaving much to be desired - one in five men and one in 10 women do not wash their hands after going to the toilet according to a national survey conducted by the Auckland Regional Public Health Service - it is crucial to get the hand washing message out there.

"We're going back to school to teach kids how to wash their hands properly to stop the spread of diseases. We will be spreading the word about the 20+20 rule - washing hands with soap for 20 seconds then drying them for 20 seconds to ensure they are bacteria-free," says Geoff Polkinghorne, General Manager of Initial Hygiene.

"Hand washing is a bit of a boring subject for kids, so we have come up with a variety of fun activities to interest and engage them - getting them excited about hand hygiene. Our 'Hands on Hygiene' programme is "kid friendly", and speaks to them in a language they understand. This programme will encourage them to remember the important points and hopefully carry these behaviours into adulthood."

During Foodsafe Week the Initial Hygiene team, in conjunction with members of the New Zealand Foodsafe Partnership, will raise awareness of food-borne illnesses and provide consumers with information on how to keep themselves and their families safe.

More information and resources can be found at www.initial.co.nz, or www.foodsafe.org.nz.