Diet and Food Hygiene Policy

Statement of Intent

This playgroup regards snack times as an important part of its session. Eating represents a social time for children and adults and helps children to learn about healthy eating.

Aim

At snack times, we aim to provide nutritious food, which meets the children’s individual dietary needs. We maintain the highest possible food hygiene standards with regard to the purchase, storage, preparation and serving of food.

Food Hygiene

• Food is stored at correct temperatures, checked to ensure it is in-date, and not subject to contamination by pests, rodents or mould.
• Food preparation areas are cleaned before and after each use.
• Separate facilities are provided for hand-washing and washing up.
• Children do not have access to the kitchen area.

Procedures

• Before a child starts to attend the playgroup, we find out from parents their children’s dietary needs, including any allergies.
• We record information about each child’s dietary needs in her/his registration record and parents sign the record to signify that it is correct.
• We regularly consult with parents to ensure that our records of their children’s dietary needs – including any allergies – are up-to-date. Parents sign the up-dated record to signify that it is correct.
• We display current information about individual children’s dietary needs so that all staff and volunteers are fully informed about them.
• We implement systems to ensure that children receive only food and drink which is consistent with their dietary needs and their parents’ wishes.
• We can give parents information about food and drink we will offer to children.
• We provide nutritious food at all snack times, avoiding large quantities of fat, sugar, salt and artificial additives, preservatives and colourings.
• Through discussion with parents and research reading by staff, we obtain information about the dietary rules of the religious groups, to which children and their parents belong, and of vegetarians and vegans, and about food allergies. We take account of this information in the provision of food and drinks.
• We require staff to show sensitivity in providing for children’s diets and allergies. Staff do not use a child’s diet or allergy as a label for the child or make a child feel singled out because of her/his diet or allergy.
• We organise snack times so that they are social occasions in which children and staff participate.
• We use snack times to help children to develop independence through making choices, serving food and drink and feeding themselves.
• We have fresh drinking water constantly available for the children. We inform the children about how to obtain the water and that they can access water at any time during the session.
• We have rules about children sharing and swapping their food with one another in order to protect children with food allergies.
• We provide milk or water. If other milk such as soya or goats milk is supplied by parents it is stored correctly. Staffs check the ‘use by date’ and the parent is informed when a replacement is required.

This policy was adopted at a meeting of Naunton Park Pre-School Playgroup

Held on ………………………….

Digitally signed on behalf of the playgroup Sarah White

Office……………………………………………….

To be reviewed	Reviewed by	Office	Signature	Date
10/11/2021	Sarah White – Chair			10/11/2020
17/01/2024	Lucy Champion – Secretary			17/01/2023