Food Hygiene Policy

This policy applies to any individual preparing food on the Pitter Patter Play LTD premises. We provide and/or serve food for children on the following basis:

• Snacks
• Meals
• Packed lunches.

We maintain the highest possible food hygiene standards with regard to the purchase, storage, preparation and serving of food. We are registered as a food provider with the local authority Environmental Health Department.

Food Safety It is the responsibility of the all staff to ensure that all food brought on to the nursery premises, complies with the Food Safety (1990) Act and that only reputable suppliers are used.

A risk assessment must be completed to minimise any possible risk of food contamination. The nursery premises must be registered for food preparation with the appropriate Local Authority. In accordance with the Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations (1995) the nursery manager will be responsible for ensuring that adequate provision is always made for storage of all food.

The manager must ensure that food handlers are trained in food hygiene matters as required by the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995. Training records are available for Environmental Health Inspections. It is the responsibility of the nursery manager to ensure that the necessary equipment (including uniforms and Personal Protective Equipment) is available and used to enable good hygiene practice is followed at all times.

It is the nursery manager’s responsibility to ensure that all premises and equipment used for the preparation, serving or storage of food shall be in an appropriate sanitary state. All food handlers must be medically fit for the purpose of handling food.

Staff with responsibility for food preparation understand the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) as it applies to our nursery. This is set out in Safer Food, Better Business for Caterers (Food Standards Agency 2011).

The basis for this is risk assessment of the purchase, storage, preparation and serving of food to prevent growth of bacteria and food contamination.

• All of our staff follow the guidelines of Safer Food, Better Business.
• All our staff who are involved in the preparation and handling of food have received training in food hygiene.
• The manager or deputy manager carries out daily opening and closing checks on the kitchen to ensure standards are met consistently. (See Safer Food, Better Business)
• We use reliable suppliers for the food we purchase.
• Packed lunches are stored in a cool place; un-refrigerated food is served to children within 4 hours of preparation at home.
• Food preparation areas are cleaned before and after use.
• There are separate facilities for hand-washing and for washing-up.
• All surfaces are clean and non-porous.
• All utensils, crockery etc. are clean 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. When children take part in cooking activities, they:

• are supervised at all times;
• understand the importance of hand-washing and simple hygiene rules;
• are kept away from hot surfaces and hot water;
• do not have unsupervised access to electrical equipment, such as blenders etc.

Food is bought on a weekly basis and is stored in lines with the storage labels on the food. Refrigerated food is stored at 8 c or below and hot food is kept at 63 c and is allowed time to cool down before being served to the children. The temperature is taken and recorded for hot food to ensure that it is cooked properly.

The kitchen is cleaned on a daily basis and a regular deep cleaning of the kitchen is organised. The Manager consistently checks all of the kitchen equipment and utensils for wear and tear, and will replace as and when necessary. The setting is registered with the local authority’s Environmental Health department and was awarded a level 5 food hygiene rating in March 2024, they will continue to be inspected in line with the review periods set out by Newport City Council. Any requirements and/or recommendations it makes are acted upon.

Food poisoning can occur for a number of reasons; not all cases of sickness or diarrhoea are as a result 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 our nursery, the manager will contact the Environmental Health Department to report the outbreak and will comply with any investigation.

The nursery manager will notify CIW as soon as reasonably practicable of any confirmed cases of food poisoning affecting two or more children looked after on the premises, and always within 14 days of the incident.

Good Food Practices

1. Food handlers must ensure that they follow the code of personal hygiene required, e.g. wash hands, aprons worn and hair to be tied back.
2. Spills to be wiped up immediately and food picked up off the floor to avoid any hazards.
3. Food preparation to be carried out in one area.
4. Temperatures of fridge / freezer to be checked every day and recorded.
5. Temperature of food to be checked. All food to be kept in a cupboard and older food to be used up first.
6. All food must be kept covered until it is served.
7. Washing up must be carried out immediately after meals.
8. The dishwasher should be loaded immediately after meals
9. Tables and chairs must be wiped with an anti-bacterial spray.

10.Floors must be brushed as soon as possible after meals.

11.Sink and draining board and surfaces must be wiped.

12.A bin bag must be used in the bin.

13.The bin must be emptied at the end of each day.

14.All dietary requirements of the children will be catered for, i.e. vegetarians, non dairy etc.

15. Kitchen must meet environmental health office requirements
16. Cleaning work surfaces with an anti-bacterial spray after each use instead of soapy water
17. Aprons to be worn whilst preparing food.
18. Towels to be washed after use.
19. The kitchen door should be kept closed at all times.
20. Hazard analysis carried out and displayed in kitchen, in order for all control points to be followed by all staff.
21. The kitchen should be maintained by all staff using the kitchen

Legal framework

Regulation (EC) 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs Further guidance

Safer Food Better Business (Food Standards Agency 2011)

This Policy was adopted on	Signed on Behalf of Pitter Patter Play Ltd	Date for review
15/06/2024		15/06/2025