Child Labor in the Food Industry | Episode 71

Don't Eat Poop! A Food Safety Podcast

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine take on the challenging but important topic of child labor. This is relevant for food safety because the majority of working children worldwide work in agriculture.

This is a topic that is close to Matt’s and Francine’s hearts as both worked many different jobs when they were still children and teenagers. So, you’ll get to hear about their personal experiences and opinions about child labor and more.

This week our hosts are also busting down the myth about which types of cutting boards hold harmful bacteria and pathogens and which don’t.

In this episode:

💩 [01:07] Matt’s and Francine’s experiences working as children

💩 [05:43] How working as a child can help

💩 [07:26] Child labor in fields and meat packing plants in the US

💩 [09:08] The multiple education paths after high school

💩 [12:25] When child labor is okay and when it isn’t

💩 [15:25] Child slave labor in the food industry

💩 [21:05] Hiring individuals under 18

💩 [22:56] Busting the food safety myth about cutting boards, bacteria, and pathogens

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Want to learn the full story of why Francine quit her babysitting job abruptly? Then, check out her book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

For the Food Safety News article Matt mentioned, refer to The meat and poultry sector needs to cease using child labor.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“I think it's good for children to learn how to work at a fairly young age, but at the same time, I don't think it's good for them to be working dangerous jobs. And I don't think that they should be working jobs that hinder school.” – Matthew Regusci

“I think that there's a whole lot of people out there right now with a tremendous amount of debt, doing things that aren't even related to the degrees that they got. So, at the age of 18, do you really know what you want to do with your life?” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

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Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

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Produced by Ideablossoms