woodlands1997 Posted November 19, 2014 Posted November 19, 2014 I was told recently that the new legislation regarding labelling allergens wasn't really going to be relevant to us as a nursery. I have just read on the pacey website however that we do need to be doing things!? Anyone have any extra experience or knowledge of this they can share? Thanks
Cait Posted November 19, 2014 Posted November 19, 2014 Do you provide snacks? You may need to be aware of contaminants such as gluten, nuts etc and be able to say things were prepared in a non contaminated area using specific utensils and chopping boards etc. Otherwise, the only way it could affect you is by having a higher awareness of checking the label of every pre-prepared foodstuff that comes in, birthday cakes etc. we used to ask for shop bought so that the ingredients were highly visible, which is better than an 'I don't know, my Mam made it' response. There's obvious things like playdough, pasta play etc that you need to be aware of for allergens. Is this what you meant?
woodlands1997 Posted November 19, 2014 Author Posted November 19, 2014 Hi Cait! We make all meals here and snacks etc so are vigilant about what things contain relating to children with allergies in our care already and as you said ask for shop bought cakes too. The new legislation requires things to be labelled and information available where any food is prepared so eg one of our meals is Chicken Korma - do I now have to have written down for every meal/ snack the allergens it contains from the list of the 14 allergens? Here's the link for what I found: http://www.pacey.org.uk/news/news/october_2014_news/new_food_allergens_regulations.aspx I don't want to go through making a list of every meal and snack with the allergens it contains unless I really have to :-) I have emailed the food standards agency so will see what they say too! Thanks!
Cait Posted November 19, 2014 Posted November 19, 2014 Good plan, that sounds a good idea. Unless you have a rota of meals, then it's going to be hard to do that sort of paperwork. How are restaurants and cafes going to do it? 1
diesel10 Posted November 19, 2014 Posted November 19, 2014 (edited) I've just read a newsletter from our Local council about this. It just states that we need to just display the foods that we serve. Having said that wasp and bees are a common allergen, should I let parents know that we may have some of them in playgroup as well. No 13 on the list is lupin and products. I thought lupins are a plant? Below is the what they said Important food allergy information requirements From 13th December 2014 early years settings will have to provide information about any allergenic ingredients used in food you provide. It is your responsibility to ensure that you provide allergen information. How to provide this information Details of these allergens will have to be listed clearly in an obvious place such as a noticeboard, chalkboard or menu. This information could also be provided orally by a member of staff. Allergen information should be easily accessible and readily available to parents and children. There are 14 major allergens which need to be declared. 1. Cereals containing gluten namely wheat (including specific varieties like spelt and Khorasan), rye, barley, oats and their hybridised strains) and products thereof 2. Crustaceans and products thereof (for example prawns, lobster, crabs and crayfish) 3. Egg and products 4. Fish and products 5. Peanut and products 6. Soybeans and products 7. Milk and products thereof (including lactose) 8. Nuts (namely almond, hazelnut, walnut, cashew, pecan nut, Brazil nut, pistachio nut and Macadamia nut (Queensland nut) and products 9. Celery and products 10. Mustard and products 11. Sesame seeds and products 12. Sulphur dioxide and sulphites at concentrations of more than 10mg/kg or 10mg/L in terms of the total SO2 which are to be calculated for products as proposed ready for consumption or as reconstituted according to the instructions of the manufacturers 13. Lupin and products 14. Molluscs and products (for example clams, oysters, scallops, snails and squid) To find out more please go to The Food Standards Agency website at www.food.gov.uk/allergy and http://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/allergy- guide/allergen-resources Edited November 19, 2014 by diesel10 2
Guest Posted November 19, 2014 Posted November 19, 2014 lupins are a plant - they are related to peanuts. They are not much used here, but in some European countries the seeds are ground to make a flour to make pastry
Inge Posted November 19, 2014 Posted November 19, 2014 Lupin... yes it is the flower http://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/what-is-anaphylaxis/knowledgebase/lupin-allergy--the-facts?page=8
Mouseketeer Posted November 19, 2014 Posted November 19, 2014 At least 1 & 14 we won't need to worry about ....we can't afford um ;-p
louby loo Posted November 19, 2014 Posted November 19, 2014 I wish the slugs in my garden had a serious Lupin allergy! (am I the only person that thinks 'Monty Python' at the mention of the word lupin?)
SueJ Posted November 20, 2014 Posted November 20, 2014 Thank you for this info - this is something that hasn't appeared on our radar at all - obviously we make sure we are aware of children's allergies and adjust our food supplies accordingly - this labelling is just another little something else for us to consider (I can feel the will to live slowly slipping out of the door :rolleyes: ) 3
eyfs1966 Posted November 20, 2014 Posted November 20, 2014 I think my will slipped out long, long ago!! I am trying to wrap my head around how we can meet these requirements in practice. I am also wondering why I have heard nothing about all this from the LEA?????? 1
woodlands1997 Posted November 20, 2014 Author Posted November 20, 2014 I haven't heard anything either from our LA, first I heard was on a first aid course I did recently! Thought I was very behind the times not knowing so glad I wasn't the only one!!! There's nothing on pla or ndna either because ive searched!!!!x
Guest Posted November 20, 2014 Posted November 20, 2014 Do we have to include the foods that we play with or is it just those that are eaten? eg playdough, dried pasta
sunnyday Posted November 20, 2014 Posted November 20, 2014 I'm seriously considering 'making like an ostrich' on this one 4
Mouseketeer Posted November 20, 2014 Posted November 20, 2014 (edited) We were sent a black and poster A4 poster from county to display but hadn't actually realised the implications for us until I was listening to something on the radio yesterday saying it was a requirement to have in place by mid Dec, it was talking about schools not being able to bring home made cakes to share and having shop bought labeled ....how sad when many children are so proud that they've helped mummy make the cakes, and we all know who our allergy children are I'm thinking a list of this is what we have at snack time, this is what's in it, giving to existing parents then adding to prospectus for new, but it will mean never deviating of trying new things unless you phone all the parents so that they know if there's something on the hit list....and what about the other things that people have allergies that aren't listed Edited November 20, 2014 by Mouseketeer 1
MegaMum Posted November 20, 2014 Posted November 20, 2014 I'm thinking I might just have the parents provide their child's snack from next term. Then I won't have to do another load of paperwork! 3
thumperrabbit Posted November 20, 2014 Posted November 20, 2014 I'm thinking I might just have the parents provide their child's snack from next term. Then I won't have to do another load of paperwork! We've been talking about taking this approach too - certainly works out cheaper for us! Or we change snack to be just milk, water or fruit - but then what will Ofsted say to that? many years ago it was mentioned on our Ofsted report about ensuring children who didn't eat fruit had the choice of something else eg crackers, toast etc
SueJ Posted November 20, 2014 Posted November 20, 2014 I'm seriously considering 'making like an ostrich' on this one Do you have an allergy label for this Also how does this impact the cookery activities that we do with the children - Argggggg (Warning may contain bananas) 1
lynned55 Posted November 20, 2014 Posted November 20, 2014 Well I think I'm also gonna become an Ostrich, haven't heard a whisper about this from anyone! I'm not sure I'm understanding this properly either. Are we supposed to display a list of foods and what allergens they may contain EACH DAY to parents? So if we give the children crackers with cream cheese and cherry tomatoes as a snack in the afternoon - we have to inform parents of this beforehand? Or if we're cooking cakes and using flour/eggs/milk etc tell them what we have used and the list of allergy stuff labelled on each thing (i.e on the flour bags) Please tell me I'm wrong someone. I have a horrible feeling I'm not though and if thats the case we will not be providing any snacks or cooking at all with them, or using foodstuff in collage etc. Obvioulsy we are all far too stupid to be trusted to know what not to give the child who has an allergy. Honestly I'm not sure how much more of these ridiculous paperwork exercises I can take. All I seem to do lately is paperwork 5
Guest Posted November 20, 2014 Posted November 20, 2014 My understanding is that we have to display any foods that we have given to the children each day so that if there is an outbreak of food poisoning there is a 'paper trail' - all receipts must be kept too. Clearly we are all aware of the children who have allergies and act accordingly. I had a recent safeguarding audit and this is what I was told.
woodlands1997 Posted November 21, 2014 Author Posted November 21, 2014 http://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/recipe-sheet-update.do The reply from the food people say it just has to be available to people if they ask so we don't have to have it up for all to see. Lynned55 crackers and cheese is fine, you can just look on the packets if people ask - it's more things that have been made so lots of ingredients combined. I think I am going to do those cards on the link for all of our main meals and have them somewhere incase anyone asks, shouldn't be too time consuming. Snacks and stuff will be fine as we always have the boxes so if a parents asks about breadsticks for example can just refer to that! Another thing to do....
woodlands1997 Posted November 21, 2014 Author Posted November 21, 2014 I don't know why that link isn't working - will upload when on laptop x 1
sunnyday Posted November 21, 2014 Posted November 21, 2014 I don't know why that link isn't working - will upload when on laptop x Thank you would be very helpful if I decide to take my head out of the sand :1b 1
Cait Posted November 21, 2014 Posted November 21, 2014 Err...... So not just me that does it then .....
Inge Posted November 21, 2014 Posted November 21, 2014 (edited) I often find I add a link and once I have posted it has vanished... thought it was me doing something wrong.. seems not.. as to the food labelling or listing contents, makes sense that it should be available for foods supplied if asked.. I was just thinking if it was displayed all the time, imagine what a restaurant menu would look like with all that information on it.. Edited November 21, 2014 by Inge
woodlands1997 Posted November 21, 2014 Author Posted November 21, 2014 Oh sorry I definitely did add it!! Will try again when back on laptop - annoying!!!!
woodlands1997 Posted November 21, 2014 Author Posted November 21, 2014 Right, it says uploaded underneath so here goes.... recipe-sheet allergens.pdf recipe-sheet allergens.pdf 2
woodlands1997 Posted November 21, 2014 Author Posted November 21, 2014 I think it's there twice now but twice is better than not at all I suppose!!!! 1
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