Food and Drink Policy- College Nurseries

1. Policy Statement

   • 1.1 Our setting is a suitable, clean, and safe place for children to be cared for, where they can grow and learn. We meet all statutory requirements for food safety and fulfil the criteria for meeting the relevant Early Years Foundation Stage Safeguarding and Welfare requirements.

   • 1.2 Leicester College recognises that it has a corporate responsibility and duty of care for those who work in and receive a service from our provision, but individual employees and service users also have responsibility for ensuring their own safety as well as that of others. Risk assessment is the key means through which this is achieved.

   • 1.3 This nursery regards snack and mealtimes as an important part of the day. Eating represents a social time for children and adults and helps children to learn about healthy eating. At snack and mealtimes, we aim to provide nutritious food, which meets the children's individual dietary needs.

2. Covid-19 Update

   • 2.1 Where food is provided, in circumstances where there is shortage of food supplies, it may be necessary to ask parents to supply a packed lunch. The following procedures must be followed:

   • 2.2 Babies and toddlers’ hands are washed prior to being given food or drink.

   • 2.3 Staff who are eating with the children must role-model hygiene best practice. Safeguarding and Welfare Requirement: Health Where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced and nutritious.

   • 2.4 Tables are never overcrowded during mealtimes. Some social distancing is encouraged even though it is acknowledged that children will play in close proximity for the rest of the session

3. Procedures

   • 3.1 We follow these procedures to promote healthy eating in our setting.

   • 3.2 Before a child starts to attend the nursery, we ask the parents their children's dietary needs and preferences, including any allergies. (See the Managing Children Sick, Infectious or with Allergies policy.)

   • 3.3 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.

   • 3.4 We regularly consult with parents to ensure that our records of their children's dietary needs - including any allergies - are up-to-date.

   • 3.5 We display current information about individual children's dietary needs so that all staff and volunteers are fully informed about them.

   • 3.6 We follow the ‘Allergen, Labelling and Information requirements Under the EU Food Information for Consumers’ – (Regulation no.1169/2011) -and document any allergens contained within the food provided for the children.

   • 3.7 We implement systems to ensure that children receive only food and drink that is consistent with their dietary needs, including any allergies, and preferences as well as their parents' wishes.

   • 3.8 We plan menus in advance, involving children and parents in the planning.

   • 3.9 We display the menus of meals/snacks for parents to view.

   • 3.10 We provide nutritious food for all meals and snacks, avoiding large quantities of saturated fat, sugar and salt and artificial additives, preservatives and colourings.

   • 3.11 We include a variety of foods from the four main food groups:

     • Meat, fish and protein alternatives; dairy foods; grains, cereals and starch vegetables; and fruit and vegetables.

   • 3.12 We include foods from different cultural backgrounds, providing children with familiar foods and introducing them to new ones.

   • 3.13 We take care not to provide food containing nuts or nut products and are especially vigilant where we have a child who has a known allergy to nuts.

   • 3.14 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.

   • 3.15 We provide a vegetarian alternative on days when meat or fish are offered.

   • 3.16 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 their diet or allergy.

   • 3.17 We organise meal and snack times so that they are social occasions in which children and staff participate. We ensure staff sit with children to eat their lunch.

   • 3.18 All hot foods are served at a temperature of no higher than 63c. monitored by the nursery Catering Supervisor.

   • 3.19 We use meal and snack times to help children to develop independence through making choices, serving food and drink and feeding themselves.

     • 3.19.1 Staff serve the food to children under 2 years.

     • 3.19.2 2-3 year olds have constant supervision and assistance when serving food

     • 3.19.3 3-5 year olds are supervised and help is given when needed.

     • 3.19.4 Children are reminded about taking care and to blow on their own food when hot.

   • 3.20 We provide children with utensils that are appropriate for their ages and stages of development and that take account of the eating practices in their cultures.

   • 3.21 We have fresh drinking water constantly available for the children. We inform the children about how to obtain the water and that they can ask for water at any time during the day. 3.22. In accordance with parents' wishes, we offer children arriving early in the morning - and/or staying late - an appropriate meal or snack.

   • 3.23 We inform parents who provide food for their children about the storage facilities available in the setting.

   • 3.24 Children who are sleeping during meal times will be catered for although food from the main meal cannot be ‘saved’ or reheated.

   • 3.25 We give parents who provide food for their children information about suitable containers for food.

   • 3.26 In order to protect children with food allergies, we discourage children from sharing and swapping their food with one another.

   • 3.27 We offer many alternatives to meat-based proteins with tasty vegetable selections or plant-based proteins.

   • 3.28 For children who drink milk, we provide whole pasteurised milk and plant based alternatives.

   • 3.29 For each child under two, we provide parents with daily written information about feeding routines, intake and preferences.

   • 3.30 We are taking several actions at nursery to try and reduce our food waste. To do this we take the following actions:

     • 3.30.1 We strive to make sure that the food on our menus is made up of meals that are popular with the children, thereby minimising the amount of leftovers.

     • 3.30.2 We try and serve slightly smaller portions and encourage children to ask for seconds if they are still hungry.

     • 3.30.3 Staff are encouraged to take any leftovers home at the end of the day.

4. Legal References

   • Regulation (EC) 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the hygiene of foodstuffs.

     • Food Information Regulations 2014

     • The Childcare Act 2006

5. Further Guidance

   • Safer Food Better Business for Caterers (Food Standards Agency) https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/safer-food-better-business-forcaterers

   • Safer Food, Better Business www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/regulation/hygleg/hyglegresources/sfbb/

6. Pre-school Learning Alliance Publications

   • Nutritional Guidance for the Under Fives (2005)

   • The Early Years Essential Cookbook (2009)

   • Healthy and Active Lifestyles for the Early Years (2012)

7. Communication and Review

   • 7.1 This Policy will be shared with parents and reviewed every three years.