Introduction
At Ladybird Pre-School Nursery we prepare and provide snacks for children. Parents/Carers provide a packed lunch for their child which the children eat with encouragement and support alongside staff who are also eating.
We maintain the highest possible food hygiene standards regarding the purchase, storage, preparation and serving of food.
We are registered as a food provider with the local authority Environmental Health Department And have regard for the Food Safety Act 1990.
Procedures
- All staff members who are responsible for food preparation understand the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) as it applies to the Nursery. This is set out in Safer Food Better Business. The basis for this is risk assessment as it applies to the purchase, storage, preparation and serving of food to prevent growth of bacteria and food contamination.
- All staff follow the guidelines of Safer Food Better Business.
- Food hygiene training is mandatory training for those staff members who prepare and handle food and is renewed every three years.
- Those staff members who are responsible for food preparation and serving carry out daily visual checks of the kitchen to ensure standards are met consistently.
- Allergen awareness control – all staff are aware of the 14 most common food allergens and aim to prevent cross-contamination from such allergens at all times.
- Safe storage of food – all food is appropriately labelled and dated visibly and is stored in temperature-controlled environments.
- We use reliable suppliers for the food we purchase.
- Food preparation areas are cleaned before use as well as after use.
- There are separate facilities for handwashing and for washing up.
- All surfaces are clean and non-porous.
- All utensils, crockery etc are clean, un-damaged and stored appropriately.
- Waste food is disposed of daily.
- Cleaning materials and other dangerous materials are stored out of children’s reach.
- Children do not have unsupervised access to the kitchen.
- Children are encouraged to wash their hands immediately before they sit down to eat their snack and lunch.
- When children take part in cooking activities, they:
- are always supervised.
- understand the importance of hand washing and simple hygiene rules.
- are kept away from hot surfaces and hot water; and
- do not have unsupervised access to electrical equipment such as blenders etc.
Reporting of Food Poisoning
- Food poisoning can occur for several reasons; not all cases of sickness or diarrhoea are because of food poisoning, and not all cases of sickness or diarrhoea are reportable.
- Where children and/or adults have been diagnosed by a GP or hospital doctor to be suffering from food poisoning and where it seems possible that the source of the outbreak is within the setting, the Nursery Manager will contact the Environmental Health Department and the Health Protection Agency, to report the outbreak and will comply with any investigation.
- If the food poisoning is identified as a notifiable disease under the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 1988 the setting will report the matter to Ofsted.
