Food allergens pose a significant risk to babies and children with allergic conditions, which may even be life threatening. Babies and children are particularly vulnerable because of their reduced level of control over the foods they eat.
As a registered setting, it is our responsibility to ensure that parents and carers are given accurate allergen information about the foods we serve. This must of course be consistent and verifiable.
However because here at Grafton Childcare all meals are cooked from scratch we know exactly what is in each meal served to the children and we usually have no need to check the ingredients lists on the back of packets of pre-packed foods to make sure allergen information is correct, to avoid triggering an allergic reaction because we use very few such foods here at Grafton Childcare. The exception to this would be when a parent brings in a birthday cake from home to share or when we provide party food e.g. for our Christmas Party each year.
The provision of allergen information concerns any foods bought from a shop and unpackaged foods including our home-cooked meals. Any parent who would like specific information about the potential allergens which may be contained in a specific meal, need only ask on the day should they wish clarification as our Cook, Phil Tupman will be only to happy to discuss any concerns you may have. He is available between 11.30 am – 1.00 pm each day and would be very happy to chat with any parent with any particular dietary or allergen questions relating to the meals we provide here at Grafton Childcare.
We also provide a Weekly Menu which also contains Allergen information with our weekly blog and on our Parent’s Noticeboard beside the conservatory, so please check this if you are ever unsure about what a particular meal contains.
There are 14 allergens currently listed under food law that we must declare. These are:
The items marked in bold above are never used in meals here at Grafton Childcare the remainder are. We have a number of children with allergies who attend Grafton Childcare and our Cook Phil works hard to avoid those particular children’s’ allergens in meals on days when they attend or will provide an alternative or modified meal for them. However it is vital that this information is kept up to date. Should you be advised that your child either has become intolerant or allergic to one of the above allergens listed or subsequently is no longer believed to be intolerant or allergic to a particular allergen it is vial that you keep us informed so that we are able plan the children’s meals accordingly.
Further information on allergen legislation and FSA advice can be found via the link below. http://www.food.gov.uk/policy-advice/allergyintol/
Food Safety Awareness Training
We are delighted to inform parents that all of our staff undertook in-house training on Tuesday 7th January 2014 and are now the proud holders of certificates in Food Safety Awareness, this used to be known as a Food Hygiene Certificate, these last three years. Here at Grafton Childcare we believe it is vital that all of our staff hold appropriate qualifications, training, skills and knowledge and we do this with a programme of continuing professional development for all of our staff by working in partnership with Devon Childminding Association who deliver most of our in-house training needs.
In June 2012, July 2013 and January 2015 we were very proud to receive our Food Hygiene Rating Scheme Certificate where we gained the maximum grading of a 5 overall via the Food Standards Agency and Local Authority Scheme.
Page created 14th Janaury 2014, updated August 2016
As a registered setting, it is our responsibility to ensure that parents and carers are given accurate allergen information about the foods we serve. This must of course be consistent and verifiable.
However because here at Grafton Childcare all meals are cooked from scratch we know exactly what is in each meal served to the children and we usually have no need to check the ingredients lists on the back of packets of pre-packed foods to make sure allergen information is correct, to avoid triggering an allergic reaction because we use very few such foods here at Grafton Childcare. The exception to this would be when a parent brings in a birthday cake from home to share or when we provide party food e.g. for our Christmas Party each year.
The provision of allergen information concerns any foods bought from a shop and unpackaged foods including our home-cooked meals. Any parent who would like specific information about the potential allergens which may be contained in a specific meal, need only ask on the day should they wish clarification as our Cook, Phil Tupman will be only to happy to discuss any concerns you may have. He is available between 11.30 am – 1.00 pm each day and would be very happy to chat with any parent with any particular dietary or allergen questions relating to the meals we provide here at Grafton Childcare.
We also provide a Weekly Menu which also contains Allergen information with our weekly blog and on our Parent’s Noticeboard beside the conservatory, so please check this if you are ever unsure about what a particular meal contains.
There are 14 allergens currently listed under food law that we must declare. These are:
- Cereals containing gluten, eg wheat (including spelt and khorasan), rye, barley and oats and their hybridised strains
- crustaceans, eg prawns, crab and lobster
- Eggs
- Fish
- Peanuts
- Soybeans
- Milk
- Nuts, eg almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecan nuts, Brazil nuts, pistachio, cashew, macadamia nuts or Queensland nuts
- Celery (including celeriac)
- Mustard
- Sesame
- Sulphur dioxide/sulphites (preservatives used in some foods and drinks) at levels above 10mg per kg or per litre
- Lupin
- Molluscs, eg clams, mussels, whelks oysters, snails and squid
The items marked in bold above are never used in meals here at Grafton Childcare the remainder are. We have a number of children with allergies who attend Grafton Childcare and our Cook Phil works hard to avoid those particular children’s’ allergens in meals on days when they attend or will provide an alternative or modified meal for them. However it is vital that this information is kept up to date. Should you be advised that your child either has become intolerant or allergic to one of the above allergens listed or subsequently is no longer believed to be intolerant or allergic to a particular allergen it is vial that you keep us informed so that we are able plan the children’s meals accordingly.
Further information on allergen legislation and FSA advice can be found via the link below. http://www.food.gov.uk/policy-advice/allergyintol/
Food Safety Awareness Training
We are delighted to inform parents that all of our staff undertook in-house training on Tuesday 7th January 2014 and are now the proud holders of certificates in Food Safety Awareness, this used to be known as a Food Hygiene Certificate, these last three years. Here at Grafton Childcare we believe it is vital that all of our staff hold appropriate qualifications, training, skills and knowledge and we do this with a programme of continuing professional development for all of our staff by working in partnership with Devon Childminding Association who deliver most of our in-house training needs.
In June 2012, July 2013 and January 2015 we were very proud to receive our Food Hygiene Rating Scheme Certificate where we gained the maximum grading of a 5 overall via the Food Standards Agency and Local Authority Scheme.
Page created 14th Janaury 2014, updated August 2016
| food-standards-agency-certificate.pdf |
| gc-allergen-policy.pdf |