Food Handling and Preparation in a Child Care Setting
When evaluating a child care center, ask about how food is handled
and what types of eating areas are provided.
- Are meals or snacks prepared on-site? If so,
where? What types of food are provided?
- Are there any restrictions
on what types of food children can bring?
Ask about the food preparation areas. Make sure the following
standards are met:
- Counters and tabletops are
clean.
- Appliances are in good repair.
- Cutting boards
are nonporous (plastic, glass, or Formica; not wood).
- Ready-to-eat
foods are prepared and kept separately from uncooked products, such as raw
meat.
- Cabinets and refrigerators are clean and
uncrowded.
- Either disposable dishes and utensils are used, or all
nondisposable dishes are cleaned in a dishwasher with water heated above
160°F (71.1°C).
Ask the following questions about how food is stored, prepared, and
served:
- Are all food containers labeled? Are children's
individual meals (including breast milk) labeled with a name, date, and type of
food?
- How are child care and food preparation duties separated? If
the same person is responsible for both, are the guidelines for hand-washing
after diapering strictly enforced?
- Are any raw foods prepared? If
so, how? (Raw meats, raw eggs, or any products that contain raw eggs should not
be served.)
- Are children taught not to share food, utensils, or
plates? How are spills handled? Are all items that are dropped on the floor
discarded?
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Susan C. Kim, MD - Pediatrics |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | John Pope, MD - Pediatrics |
| Last Revised | September 14, 2012 |