Food and Health Guidelines - Torfaen Family Information Service

7. Food hygiene and safety
Food hygiene
Children are more vulnerable to food
poisoning than adults and so it is particularly
important for extra care to be taken when
preparing food in Early Years settings.
Food poisoning can be a serious illness for
infants and young children. It is essential to
store, prepare and present food in a safe,
hygienic environment to help prevent harmful
bacteria spreading and growing and to avoid
food poisoning.
Food poisoning occurs when the food
consumed contains harmful bacteria,
viruses or other microbes, collectively known
as germs.
Germs are very hard to detect since they do
not usually affect the taste, appearance or
smell of food. The most serious types of food
poisoning are due to bacteria. The more
bacteria present, the more likely you are to
become ill. Bacteria multiply very quickly
and to do so need moisture, food, warmth
and time.
All settings that regularly serve snacks
or meals on the premises should be
registered as a food business with their local
Environmental Health Department.
General safety issues
• All food handlers must have completed
a recognised Food Hygiene course,
for example, Level 2 Food Hygiene
Certificate, before providing food. It is
recommended that training be repeated
at least once every 3 years.
• Children under 5 should never be left
alone while they are eating in case
they choke.
• All highchairs should be fitted with
a safety harness which should be
used at all times when children are in
their chairs.
• Children should never be left
unsupervised while in a highchair.
• Whole pieces of nut should not be given
to under-5s in case of choking.
• Insulated cool boxes, or a cool box with
cool packs, should be used for carrying
food when taking children on trips or
outings.
Most food poisoning is preventable.
Children may bring food from home to eat
while they are in childcare. It is helpful if
the childcare setting has its own food and
nutrition policy (see Section 8). This can
be given to parents to help them choose
and prepare food which is sent from home.
For further information see Appendix 6.
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