POLICY ON FOOD SAFETY, ALLERGIES AND CULTURAL RESTRICTIONS

OUR COMMITMENT

The Early Years are a crucial time to reduce health inequalities and set the foundations for a lifetime of good health.

Truly Scrumptious Early Years Nursery is committed to maintaining the highest standards of food hygiene and safety in line with statutory requirements and best practices. We are proud to have achieved and maintained a

5-star food hygiene rating at both our Ongar and Romford settings, as awarded by Environmental Health inspections.

We adhere to the guidance set out in the Food Standards Agency’s “Safer Food, Better Business” toolkit and ensure that all food safety procedures are fully embedded in our day-to-day operations in collaboration with the new EYFS Nutrition Guidance May 2025.

Your key person will liaise with you on an ongoing basis to ensure your child’s needs are being met.

FOOD HANDLING, PREPARATION, AND HYGIENE

 We ensure all staff involved in food handling and preparation follow strict hygiene protocols, including:

• Staff exhibiting signs of illness are prohibited from handling food.
• All food preparation surfaces are cleaned before and after use with approved antibacterial spray BS EN1276 and disposable cloths or kitchen roll.
• Colour-coded chopping boards are used correctly (e.g., red for raw meat) to prevent cross-contamination.
• Chopping boards, utensils, and equipment are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after each use.
• Hand hygiene is strictly observed — staff wash hands with antibacterial soap and warm water before and after food preparation, after toilet use, and after changing nappies.
• Staff dishing up food – all staff wear hair nets and gloves when serving up food or snacks
• Kitchen staff wearing appropriate chef wear.
• No jewellery (except plain wedding bands), nail polish, or artificial nails are permitted during food handling.
• Cuts or sores are covered with a blue waterproof dressing.
• Staff wear appropriate PPE: hair nets, aprons, gloves, and closed-toe shoes.
• Food Hygiene training certificates are held by all staff and regularly renewed.
• Paediatric 1^st Aid – All staff working with children have paediatric 1^st aid training.

 

CLEANING PROCEDURES

Fridge and Freezer Maintenance:

• Fridges are cleaned weekly: all shelves, drawers, and seals are washed with warm soapy water and disinfectant.
• All items are checked for expiry dates; out-of-date items are discarded appropriately.
• Freezers (non-frost-free) are defrosted and deep cleaned monthly.
• Fridge temperatures are checked daily and logged to ensure food is stored safely. 

General Kitchen Cleaning:

• Worktops and food contact surfaces are cleaned before and after each use.
• Kitchen waste is disposed of promptly and hygienically.

Pest Control

We have a contract with a commercial Pest Control specialist with routine inspections in compliance with regulations to provide ongoing services to maintain a pest-free environment ensuring children’s, and staff’s health and safety.

HEALTHY EATING AND NUTRITION

At Truly Scrumptious, we believe that a healthy, balanced diet is essential for a child’s physical and emotional development.  We closely follow the EYFS Nutrition Guidance May 2025

• Where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, these must be healthy, balanced and nutritious

• We promote positive food experiences and educate children on the importance of nutritious meals.  Children’s early experiences with food can shape future eating habits.  This can impact children’s long-term health including maintaining a healthy weight and good oral health.
• We ensure children get the right amount of nutrients and energy they need while they are growing rapidly, which is especially important for children who might not have access to healthy food at home.   This can prevent children from becoming overweight or obese.
• Children are provided with healthy, balanced snacks and meals appropriate to their age and dietary needs.
• Fresh drinking water is available to children throughout the day.
• Cultural, religious, ethical, and medical dietary requirements are always respected and accommodated.
• Multicultural foods are included to ensure all children feel represented and to encourage an appreciation of global diets.

Parents are asked to inform us of any dietary requirements during registration. Where dietary preferences are based on non-medical needs, parents may be asked to supply suitable alternatives in sealed, labelled packaging.

FOOD ALLERGY AND INTOLERANCE MANAGEMENT

We take food allergies and intolerances extremely seriously and have comprehensive systems in place to manage risk:

• Allergy information is collected during registration and updated regularly.
• Individual care plans are created for children with food allergies/intolerances.
• Clear visual indicators such as:
  • Red plates/cups
  • Allergy placemats with child’s name and restriction
  • Toothpick flags for dietary needs (e.g., vegan, halal, nut-free)

Staff training includes:

• Recognising signs of allergic reactions and anaphylaxis
• Administering emergency medication, antihistamine or EpiPen
• Reading food labels for allergens
• Cross-contamination prevention

Food allergen risk assessments and policies are reviewed regularly, and all allergy-related documentation is securely stored and accessible.  This information must be given in writing by parents and the same when a child can be reintroduced to previously restricted food.

When planning all meals all individual child’s needs are taken into consideration including allergies.  In all our rooms, babies, toddlers, preschool and kitchen we have a list on display of all children that have allergies, intolerances, preferences and cultural restrictions and we check and double check that these are all respected.

Each plate for a child with allergies is colour coded in red and the kitchen staff will place a food flag to ensure the correct dinner is given to the child.

At present in our baby room in Ongar we are completely GLUTEN FREE due to a child’s severe allergic reaction.

SAFE FOOD STORAGE AND TEMPERATURE CONTROL

To prevent contamination and ensure food quality, we follow strict storage guidelines:

• Fridge temperatures are monitored daily and maintained at or below 5°C.
• Freezers are maintained at -18°C or lower.
• Dry foods are stored in cool, dry, pest-free areas in sealed containers.
• Cooked and raw foods are stored separately.
• All food is labelled and dated upon receipt and opening.

FEEDING BABIES AND WEANING GUIDELINES

As an Early Years provider, we get to know your baby so that we are aware of their feeding cues, mouth opening, puckering, smacking lips or turning their head towards a bottle.  Knowing when they are full, milk spilling out of the mouth, closing mouth, head turning away, splayed fingers and toes or pushing bottle or food away.  Children are fed responsively according to their needs.

If your baby is breast fed, we encourage you to express so we can continue to feed you baby by bottle in the setting.

We can also sterilise bottles and make up formula milk (provided by the parent) using our filtered digital hot water dispenser and Nuby Rapid Cool Baby bottle maker.

We use Phox Water Filter jugs to provide our babies with clean water which removes copper, chlorine, bad taste and odour from tap water.

We work closely with parents to support safe, responsive feeding routines for infants, including baby-led weaning.

Questions we ask parents:

• Have lumps been introduced at home?
• Is your child following baby-led weaning or spoon-feeding?
• What foods have already been introduced?

 Safety measures for infant feeding:

• Babies are always seated upright and supervised while eating.
• Avoid choking hazards:
  • Round, hard, or sticky foods (e.g., whole grapes) are cut lengthwise/quartered or omitted.
  • Cylindrical foods are cut into strips.
  • Meats are sliced across the grain and into small pieces.
  • No foods larger than half an inch in any direction.
• Commercial white bread is limited to avoid “pasty globs”.
• No Peas or sweetcorn for babies and toddlers
• Only a few pieces of food are served at a time to prevent overloading.
• Children are not rushed — we allow adequate time for relaxed feeding.

INTRODUCTING SOLID FOODS OR WEANING

In collaboration with parents we will wean or complementary feed around the 6 month mark this will be given alongside breast or formula milk.  This can only be introduced once a baby can:

• Stay in a sitting position and support their own head
• Coordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at their food, pick it up and put it in their mouth
• Swallow food (rather than spit it back out)

Introducing solid foods helps a baby learn new skills such as chewing and biting. It also introduces new foods, flavours and textures to them. Babies develop at different rates. You must have ongoing discussions with parents and/or carers about the stage their child is at in regard to introducing solid foods and assumptions must not be made based on age. This includes reaching agreement with parents and/or carers about when and how they want to start introducing solid foods. You need to understand what foods they have been exploring at home and where they are in the food introduction process.

The baby will show you if they are ready to move on to the next step, for example by chewing, moving food around their mouth and swallowing it. It is important to share information with parents and/or carers to track the baby’s progress in becoming a confident eater. Babies develop at different rates. Age is just an indication so let them go at their own pace.

NHS Start for Life has advice on how to start weaning.

The Food Standards Agency has 2 posters on how to prepare food safely to avoid choking.

First foods to introduce

From around 6 months of age, babies should be introduced to a wide range of foods, flavours and textures, alongside their usual milk feeds.

All foods prepared for babies are not processed and prepared in our kitchen from scratch we do not provide pre made foods from shops such as puree pouches. This helps introduce babies to a range of appropriate flavours and textures.

Baby’s first food could be a simple vegetable or fruit puree. To help your baby get used to different textures and tastes quickly, moving onto mashed and finger foods (from purées or smooth blended foods) as soon as they’re ready can let them get used to moving food around their mouths and swallowing it.

Start off with slightly bitter pureed or smooth blended vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower and spinach) This will help babies get used to a range of flavours (rather than just the sweeter ones like carrots and sweet potato).

It may take 10 tries or more for a baby to get used to new foods, flavours and textures. We are patient and will keep offering a variety of foods, even the ones that they don’t seem to like. Let them get used to the food in their own time.

You should have discussions with parents and/or carers about common food allergens that have been introduced at home. These foods need to be introduced one at a time and in very small amounts so that you can spot any reaction.

Drinks to offer from 6 months

The only drinks that are recommended for babies aged 6-12 months are:

1. • breast milk
   • first infant formula

Babies should be offered sips of water during meal times from an open or free-flow cup without a valve. Open cups help babies learn to sip and are better for their teeth.

The importance of different textures

Once babies are comfortable with eating solid foods, it is important to start introducing more mashed and lumpier foods.

It’s important to introduce different textures as it helps babies to:

1. • learn to chew and swallow properly, which encourages mouth and muscle development
   • get used to different textures, which means they will be less likely to become fussy eaters or develop sensory needs.

Babies take different amounts of time to get used to texture and lumps. Keep offering lumpy textures from around 6 to 7 months and always supervise them closely so you can be sure they are swallowing it safely.

How to introduce different textures

We puree foods, gradually make purees thicker, then mash vegetables or fruit. These thicker and lumpier textures can help babies develop muscles in their mouths.

Finger foods are offered which are easy to grab and hold, such as thin sticks of cheese or bread, soft-cooked broccoli, cauliflower, carrot or banana cut into thin batons. These can encourage a baby’s hand-eye coordination, as well as introducing new textures.

Babies are encouraged to touch food with their hands and play with textures, such as portions of cooked spaghetti.

Cutting food safely when introducing solid foods

Food is cut to a size that’s right for a child’s size, age and stage of weaning. This helps avoid choking.

Choking can happen with any food, but there are steps you can take to minimise the risks. .

1. • soft-cooked fruit such as peeled apple slices or finger sticks of bananas, kiwis
   • soft-cooked vegetables in finger sticks such as carrots, broccoli, courgette sticks
   • cooked protein in finger sticks such as tofu or chicken.

For more advanced eaters, from around 9 months old, you can cut food into small, bite- sized pieces so that babies can practise their pincer grasps.

When preparing food, it is important to avoid round shapes as these are a choking hazard. Cut small fruits lengthways and then halve again (quarters). These fruits include:

1. • • grapes
     • raspberries
     • strawberries
     • cherry tomatoes.

Babies should not eat:

1. • much salt, as it is not good for their kidneys. We never add salt to food prepared for babies or cooking water. Stock cubes and gravy shouldn’t be used either
   • any sugar. Avoiding sugary snacks and drinks including fruit juice can help prevent tooth decay
   • foods that are high in saturated fat, salt and sugar like cakes, puddings, sweet and savoury pastries, biscuits, crisps, chocolate and other confectionery
   • popcorn, raw jelly cubes, or whole nuts, which are all choking hazards
   • honey (which should be avoided until 12 months) as it can contain bacteria that can make babies seriously unwell
   • cheeses made from unpasteurised milk or mould-ripened soft cheeses, such as brie or camembert, or ripened goat’s milk cheese and soft, blue-veined cheese, such as roquefort. There’s a higher risk that these cheeses might carry a bacteria called listeria
   • raw and lightly cooked eggs (including uncooked cake mixture, homemade ice creams, homemade mayonnaise, or desserts) if you do not see a red lion with the words “British Lion Quality” on the box
   • rice drinks as a substitute for breast milk or infant formula as they may contain too much arsenic
   • slush ice drinks, sometimes known as slushies, as they may contain too much glycerol
   • raw or lightly cooked shellfish, such as mussels, clams and oysters, which can risk food poisoning

GUIDANCE FOR CHILDREN AGED 1 YEARS TO 5 YEARS

All children need a healthy balanced diet based on the 4 main food groups

FRUIT & VEGETABLES

POTATOES, BREAD, RICE PAST & other starchy carbohydrates

DAIRY or dairy alternatives

BEANS, PULSES, FISH, EGGS, MEAT & other proteins

MONITORING AND REVIEW

This policy will be reviewed annually or in response to:

• Changes in food safety legislation
• Updates from the Food Standards Agency (FSA)
• Environmental Health inspection outcomes
• EYFS Nutrition Guidance May 2025
• Parent or staff feedback
• New allergen advice or best practice guidance

Staff are encouraged to report any concerns or suggestions for improvement. We welcome contributions from parents and carers in keeping this policy effective and up to date.

Approved by: Nursery Management and Designated Safeguarding Lead

Policy Reviewed:       PATRICIA TREW, Nursery Director, Manager, DSL

USEFULL INFORMATION –

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6839b752210698b3364e86fc/Early_years_foundation_stage_nutrition_guidance.pdf

The NHS provides information on the benefits of breastfeeding – NHS.

NHS Start for Life has helpful information and advice on breastfeeding.

The NHS provides information on safe storage of expressed breast milk – NHS.

The NHS provides information on types of formula.

NHS Start for Life has advice on how to make up infant formula and how to sterilise equipment.

NHS Start for Life has advice on how to start weaning.

The Food Standards Agency has 2 posters on how to prepare food safely to avoid choking.

DfE’s help for early years providers website has a solid food roadmap.

DfE’s help for early years providers website has a full list of common food allergens.

Further information can be found in the section on ‘Food allergies’.

The NHS has advice on fussy eaters

DfE’s help for early years providers website has a video on how to prepare and cut food safely for babies

Further information on food safety, including how hygiene and safe food preparation can protect children in early years settings.

NHS Start for Life has advice on Preparing food safely for babies – Start for Life – NHS.

The Food Standards Agency has a poster about choking hazards.

The NHS has advice on foods to avoid giving babies and young children.

NHS Start for Life has advice on Safe weaning – Start for Life – NHS.

DfE’s help for early years providers website has a poster on the 4 food groups.

Further guidance on this can be found in the section on ‘Food allergies’.

The Food Standards Agency has 2 posters on how to prepare food safely to avoid choking.

The NHS has further information about information about food labelling.

DfE’s help for early years providers website has a guide to portion sizes.

DfE’s help for early years providers website has an easy substitution table.

Further information to help you consider dietary requirements in early years can be found in the section on ‘Meeting the needs of all children’.

NHS Better Health Start for Life also has recipes and meal ideas for babies and children aged 5 and under

Further information on preparing food for babies can be found in the section on ‘Cutting food safely when introducing solid foods’