National Quality Standards for Early Childhood Education and Care and School Age Care

2.1.2 - Health practices and procedures- Effective illness and injury management and hygiene practices are promoted and implemented.

National Regulations

77 - Health, hygiene and safe practices

78 - Food and beverages

Purpose

Kids Capers aims to protect the safety and wellbeing of all of our Educators, children and families. Therefore, we aim to have adequate procedures in place to ensure the safe handling of food.

Implementation

Our Centre will also follow appropriate food preparation techniques to meet Food Standards Australia New Zealand such as:

• Wash hands before food preparation following the hand washing procedure.

• Always wearing clean gloves when handling food.

• Cleaning and sanitising the food preparation area before, during and after use.

• Avoiding the contamination of one work area to another by using the colour coded CHUX system and restricting the movement of contaminated items (such as gloves and cleaning implements) from one area to another.

• Clean children’s dining tables with a food grade sanitiser and dry before serving food, this will be followed once again after eating.

• Ensuring food is always served in a hygienic way using tongs and serving spoons. If children are sharing food from a common plate, they understand that they must use appropriate utensils to take the food they want to eat.

• Providing families with current and relevant information about food preparation and hygiene.

• Showing and discussing with children the need for food hygiene in both planned and spontaneous experiences.

• Providing nutrition and food safety training opportunities for all Educators including an awareness of other cultures food habits.

• Providing families with current and relevant information about the menus, this will be on display and in the weekly KCC news.

Food Safety and Temperature Control

The bacteria that commonly cause food poisoning grow rapidly between 5oC and 60oC, this is commonly referred to as the “temperature danger zone”. To keep food safe:

• All food for children brought from home will be placed in the refrigerator provided by the centre, if children bring in food in an insulated lunch box – the lunch box will be left opened slightly to ensure the flow of the cool air whilst in the fridge.

• For all of Kids Capers Childcare centres that provide food, the accredited food safety program will always be followed.

• Perishable foods will not be left in the temperature danger zone for longer than 2 hours.

• Food will be heated to above 60oC, and then allowed to cool briefly before serving to the children, the temperature is to be documented.

• A food thermometer will be used to ensure that food is heated to the correct temperature. The food thermometer will be washed with warm soapy water between each use.

• Thermometers are used to ensure fridge temperatures are between 0- 5oC. Temperature’s will be documented on the Fridge Temperature Check form, twice a day once in the AM then in the PM.

• Thermometer are used to ensure freezer temperatures are - 18oC, if being used.

• Expired food or food past its used by date will not be served.

• Dry foods are to be stored in sealed, air-tight containers.

• Any food removed from its original container will be stored in a container with the used by date of the food written on it.

• Food storage areas are to be well cleaned, ventilated, dry, pest free and not in direct sunlight.

• Pests are to be prevented by cleaning spills straight away and removing garbage/waste frequently.

• Food is to be stored on shelves and never on the floor including play dough ingredients.

• Raw and cooked foods are to be stored separately. Raw foods are to be stored at the bottom of a fridge in a container to prevent contamination.

• Cooked food is to be stored once it has sufficiently cooled down. Foods cool quicker in smaller, shallow containers.

• Fridges and freezers will be cleaned regularly and fridge door seals checked to be in good repair. Cleaning the fridge and freezers includes the outside and all shelves and parts of the fridge or freezer.

• All reheated left-over foods will be thrown out. Parents will be informed of how much food their child ate via the daily information sheet.

• Any food that is opened needs to be re labelled, with: Item name, Date of opening, Expiry date.

Procedure for handling food for children with allergies

• Kitchen staff will ensure all hygiene practices are followed when handling food for children with allergies.

• Kitchen staff will take all precautions while preparing the food to ensure no cross contamination.

• When the food is prepared in the kitchen the temperature will be taken during the cooking process, once served into serving dishes, before leaving the kitchen and before serving to the children in the rooms.

• Children with allergies, intolerances will receive their meal in a separate container that is labelled and contains the appropriate food for them to consume. The containers will always be cross checked when preparing to ensure the child is getting the correct meal, this is to be done using the wall list and the room leader who collects the food.

• The labels will have a picture of the child, the child's name and a list of the allergies.

• The containers are to be prepared with the label and ensured they are clean before any meal goes in to them.

• A list of children with allergies and intolerances including the room name and child's name will be displayed on the wall in the kitchen for cross checking. This will indicate the days the child attends.

• The sealed containers are then transported to the relevant child's room for service.

• Dry stored food will be stored separately in individual containers so there is no cross contamination.

• Cold stored food be stored separately in individual containers so there is no cross contamination.

• Any contaminated food will be discarded immediately.

Sources

• www.safefood.qld.gov.au

• Food Standards Australia New Zealand. http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/

• National Health and Medical Research Council. (2005).

• Staying Healthy in Child Care Preventing Infectious Diseases in Child Care (5th Edition).

• Kids Capers Childcare - Food Safety Program