Healthy foods/nutrition and safe food handling policy

Aim:

Enhance child health and wellbeing with education in healthy eating, lifestyle and ways to protect when handling foods.

Rationale:

Children need to experience a balanced food range and families/nga whanau are an integral part of this focus.

Safe food handling is important as poisoning is serious and can cause extreme discomfort. No adult/child is to be put at unnecessary risk.

Procedures:

Teaching staff encourage families/guardians/whanau to provide:

Selections from the 4 major food groups; this is displayed for viewing and discussion.

The Centre has a rolling morning/afternoon tea to meet children’s different eating requirements/habits/needs.

There is a set lunchtime.

We discourage all confectionary; also nuts and egg because of potential allergies.

Families/whanau are involved by provision of reading resources & the sharing of information from government agencies promoting healthy life styles.

Before food preparation: wash & dry hands thoroughly,
During handling/food preparation: use hygienic surfaces, wash dishes in soapy water then into dish washer,
After food eating: cover, refrigerate and date food to be saved to be used within 24 hours.
Be aware of health issues when preparing food,
Food is covered and kept separate when not being eaten or prepared,
The eating areas are disinfect-anted throughout the day; and by cleaning staff at the end of each day. Ammonia is sprayed each evening and left for 20mins minimum,
Bins for food scraps are provided, food scraps may be saved for compost,
The dish washer/fridge to be cleaned weekly; the chopping boards daily. The chairs are to be scrubbed at the end of each week.
Cloths used for various tasks are separated.

Practices:

Ask children when hand washing necessary: “can I smell the bubbles on your hands?”
Empowerment- children/tamariki to take responsibility for putting own lunch boxes away; if not followed through lunch boxes removed to over door until lunchtime.

Review date- …04.04.13

Foods