Food Safety
4.1 FOOD SAFETY
The centre adheres to the regulations of the 1999 Victorian Food Safety Program. As part of the centre’s Occupational, Health & Safety code all team members must be aware of their responsibilities in relation to the kitchen and food service before handling any food or related equipment. Team members will be required to attend a Food Handling Course every two years to keep their training up to date.
The most important ways to break the chain of infection and stop the spread of diseases are:
- effective hand hygiene
- exclusion of ill children, educators and other staff
- immunisation
Other strategies to prevent infection include:
- cough and sneeze etiquette
- appropriate use of gloves
- effective environmental cleaning
Food safety is an important part of infection control. The best ways to prevent diseases spreading through food are with good hand hygiene; not sharing food, plates or utensils; preparing and storing food properly; and keeping food preparation areas clean.
Following these steps for prevention, along with the Centre’s health & hygiene policies will help minimise the spread of infection and avoid food poisoning. All team members MUST also adhere to the following steps in Food Safety:
- always wash and dry your hands thoroughly before preparing or serving food or infant bottles (see handwashing procedures)
- clean the surfaces that will come in contact with the food and the utensils that are to be used for the meal
- check that all children have washed and dried their hands before they eat.
- ensure children use tongs when sharing from a common bowl or plate. Remind them that they cannot touch food that is being shared because this can spread germs that might make them or other children ill.
- Do not allow children to share individual eating or drinking utensils, or take food from other children’s plates or bowls
- Teach children to turn away from food when they cough or sneeze
- All educators and staff serving or preparing food should wear an apron which should be laundered after use
- Heat food or milk for bottles once only. Do not allow it to cool and then reheat it- this can allow germs to grow
- Store cold foods less than 5 °C and hot foods greater than 60°C
- Don’t allow food to be in the Temperature Danger Zone 5 - 60°C
- Frequently sanitise all benches and equipment
- Don’t handle food when ill
- Use clean utensils to prepare and serve food
- Defrost foods in the refrigerator or microwave, not on a bench
- Don’t use the same equipment/utensils for raw and cooked foods and ensure separation during storage and preparation
- Keep cooked food above uncooked food in the fridge
- Check the quality and temperature of supplies delivered
- Use the food thermometer to ensure that cooked or reheated food reached the correct temperature
- Cover cuts and wounds with waterproof dressings and wear gloves
- Gloves should be worn for serving or preparing food if you are wearing rings, nail polish, bandaids or artificial nails, or if you have cracked, dry or broken skin on your hands.
- Throw out all leftovers
Team members MUST adhere to and follow strict hygiene practices to ensure that cross-infection is kept minimal. Team members MUST encourage children of all ages to carry out basic hygiene practices by:
- role modeling for the children, and using correct procedures
- initiating discussions with the children about good health and hygiene, dental and ear care and the reasons for them
- providing information for parents on health and hygiene, dental and ear care
- encouraging children to follow basic rules of hygiene
- supervising bathrooms at all times and talking children through procedures if necessary
The centre also adheres to a strict policy of hygiene to minimise infection within the centre. The centre is cleaned by team members and professional cleaners daily and at weekends. Toys are sterilised, benches and tables sanitised and floors are washed with regularity throughout the day. All team members MUST adhere to and complete each room’s ‘Daily and Weekly Cleaning and Hygiene Checklists’ to ensure cross infection is minimal.
Sources:
- ‘Staying Healthy in Child Care’- Issue No. 97/11
- ‘Staying Healthy’- 5th Edition 2012- NHMRC
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