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A member of staff has told us her NVQ assessor has said we must hot give children apples with the peel on as the wax used on them can cause cancer. All fruit & vegetables are washed before being given to children and we encourage them to cut their own fruit but we don't peel apples or pears. I know there have been several emails winging around about apple peel causing cancer and just wondered if anyone knew anything official?

Thank-you

Karrie

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Oh goodness me what next? I think it is always wise to wash fruit before eating because of wax used to preserve it and possible insecticides. I have also Googled the question 'does it cause cancer?' and I can only find items about how apple peel may prevent it. Perhaps someone got their wires crossed along the way. The best thing to do with these things is ask to see the documentation that supports whatever it is.

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Hi,

when I started reading this article I thought you were about to say that the reason would be because the children may choke on the peel. I never expected you to say it could cause cancer! Wouldn't we have heard something in the news if there was any risk of cancer ? This would have been in the headlines.

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Well I'm in agreement with all of you, I think my colleague may have received one of those alarmist emails and thinks maybe by linking it to her assessor will give it more 'weight'. I've done loads of searches as well and not found anything to link apple peel to cancer or any other disease or illness. Thanks for your replies.

Karrie

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what's more worrying is on the news today was the link to alcohol - even just one unit a day -

 

....................do you think red wine counts?!!! or is that classed as medication for early years workers? (as long as it in the evening of course- maybe chocolate should be consumed at same time to counter-balance negative effects)

 

xxx

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what's more worrying is on the news today was the link to alcohol - even just one unit a day -

 

....................do you think red wine counts?!!! or is that classed as medication for early years workers? (as long as it in the evening of course- maybe chocolate should be consumed at same time to counter-balance negative effects)

 

xxx

Definately medication- I've got it written in my contract!! :o

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A member of staff has told us her NVQ assessor has said we must hot give children apples with the peel on as the wax used on them can cause cancer.

Sorry if this is being boring, but the best thing do is to contact the said NVQ assessor and ask her for the proof, and preferably written on a letterhead of some kind to give it authority. S/he'll either be able to give you something from the College/training provider telling them that it is their policy to tell candidates that children can't be given apples, or she'll tell you there has been a misunderstanding.

 

This kind of thing can't go unchallenged - especially since it makes candidates think their settings are putting their children at risk or are somehow doing something wrong!

 

Bloomin' people! :o

 

Maz

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Well I have heard it all now I thought an apple a day kept the doctor away!!

 

Moving swiftly on does anyone know of a catalogue that I can order a cooking centre from?? CHEERS

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Good point!

 

I always give apples with peel on. I had a nana who complained that her 'Babby' wouldn't manage the peel and actually asked if she could come in and peel her granddaughter's apple for her when we were having them. I gave her a 'really?' look and she said that she thought it was an awful choking hazard, and dis we cut all the grapes in half as well. (My assistant muttered as she walked past that she always pre-chewed pineapple for the children first) So I told her that by all means she could come in, and rang her every morning at 10.15 to come and do it. She did it 3 times and we made sure her daughter was waiting for her whilst the other children were 'tucking in' to theirs.

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Good point!

 

I always give apples with peel on. I had a nana who complained that her 'Babby' wouldn't manage the peel and actually asked if she could come in and peel her granddaughter's apple for her when we were having them. I gave her a 'really?' look and she said that she thought it was an awful choking hazard, and dis we cut all the grapes in half as well. (My assistant muttered as she walked past that she always pre-chewed pineapple for the children first) So I told her that by all means she could come in, and rang her every morning at 10.15 to come and do it. She did it 3 times and we made sure her daughter was waiting for her whilst the other children were 'tucking in' to theirs.

pl..e...a...se!

 

sunnyday

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I love over protective nana's we have had a few over the years

 

now Im going to sound really thick.. I didnt know apples had wax put on them? I thought that shine was a combination of natural occuring oils in the apple skin and wide variety of toxic pesticides... now that I could believe was a linked to cancer

 

 

but I think if we look hard enough theres probably a link to cancer in anything

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Sorry if this is being boring, but the best thing do is to contact the said NVQ assessor and ask her for the proof, and preferably written on a letterhead of some kind to give it authority. S/he'll either be able to give you something from the College/training provider telling them that it is their policy to tell candidates that children can't be given apples, or she'll tell you there has been a misunderstanding.

 

This kind of thing can't go unchallenged - especially since it makes candidates think their settings are putting their children at risk or are somehow doing something wrong!

 

Bloomin' people! :o

 

Maz

 

I think we all need to think sensibly about health and safety issues and fight back when we are told ridiculous things.

 

I began to think I was becoming out of touch and inadequate as various staff members insisted it was dangerous to use

:- toilet rolls, egg cartons, food colouring in water, powder paint, plasters, plant bulbs, eat whole apples (peel and cores are dangerous) ....... determined not to seem totally cavalier and reckless in my quest for fun and creativity I sought out a higher authority and found an ally in the war against health and safety madness.

(surprisingly perhaps) the health and safety executive website is a good place to look for sensible advice http://www.hse.gov.uk/index.htm, their myth of the month section has some good posters.

 

Here's to taking the bubble wrap off our children and putting out doors for stamping on instead.

 

fay

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I think we all need to think sensibly about health and safety issues and fight back when we are told ridiculous things.

 

I began to think I was becoming out of touch and inadequate as various staff members insisted it was dangerous to use

:- toilet rolls, egg cartons, food colouring in water, powder paint, plasters, plant bulbs, eat whole apples (peel and cores are dangerous) ....... determined not to seem totally cavalier and reckless in my quest for fun and creativity I sought out a higher authority and found an ally in the war against health and safety madness.

(surprisingly perhaps) the health and safety executive website is a good place to look for sensible advice http://www.hse.gov.uk/index.htm, their myth of the month section has some good posters.

 

Here's to taking the bubble wrap off our children and putting out doors for stamping on instead.

 

fay

Whoa - you had me worried there for a moment I thought you were going to put your children outside and stamp on them!!!

 

Sunnyday

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Whoa - you had me worried there for a moment I thought you were going to put your children outside and stamp on them!!!

 

Sunnyday

 

sorry end of a long day.

no they love stamping on sheets of bubble wrap even tho' it's a bit slippery/perhaps because it is!

Edited by fay
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Obviously if we worried too much about every report that ever came out, we'd probably starve as we'd never actually eat anything.

There was a report some time back about the levels of pesticides found in fruit in the school fruit scheme but I cant remember the details.

 

Having said that, wax is used to help them keep during those long journeys (and make them shiny) and not all countries have the same regs regarding safe levels of pesticides etc. Also worth knowing that some apple wax is not vegetarian and although these 'should' be labelled, how many people actually would bother to look on the box in the supermarket to see?

 

I only ever eat UK grown apples, they dont have to travel as far and are less likley to contain wax or if they do they will be veggie wax. You can check on the wax by running a fingernail gently across the apple.

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