EU food law changing on 13th Dec

[AnonyMouse_53072]

Good afternoon

Just wondering how other settings are accommodating the EU law change this month? We understand that we will have to be able to start evidencing and proving what ingredients have been used, keeping food packaging etc. We are planning to attach food labels to our weekly menus and keeping them. But we have times (parties etc) where parents provide the food so obviously this won't happen - is anybody else facing this??

We are going to start with a ban on any homemade food from parents, like when they bring in birthday cakes etc, which seems a real shame - but can't see any way around that as you'd have to trust their word on the ingredients etc 100%.

But parents usually always provide the party food, for example at the Christmas Party in a couple of weeks, including sandwiches etc to keep the cost down.

Would just appreciate some alternative ideas if anyone can help?

 

Thank you!

[AnonyMouse_8282]

I can't link threads - but if you do a search (as recent as last weekend) there's one running that has some interesting information and downloads on. :1b

[AnonyMouse_3139]

http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/labellingnutrition/foodlabelling/docs/qanda_application_reg1169-2011_en.pdf

 

Hi Lilmizzlaw, I hadnt heard of it but a quick search found this. From what I can see its not something we need to concern ourselves with, its more to do with food manufacturers and packagers. Of course I could be wrong because in all honesty I got bored reading it!

[AnonyMouse_50152]

This is the first I have geard about it. So yes everyone please do share!

 

Thank you

[AnonyMouse_11396]

Blah,blah,blah. Is anyone else tiring of this constant bombardment of rules and regulations.

:(:(

[AnonyMouse_8282]

Don't stress.

find the thread started 19th Nov by Woodlands1997

Lots of easy to absorb info on there :1b

[AnonyMouse_3735]

Previous thread..

[AnonyMouse_19762]

Blah,blah,blah. Is anyone else tiring of this constant bombardment of rules and regulations.

:( :(

Yes I am - with knobs on......

And while I'm moaning :blink: I haven't heard so much as a whisper from my LA - where i would be without this forum I really don't know......

[AnonyMouse_6721]

As a parent of a child with a food allergy I would appreciate a poster / sign to advise me of foods that he could potentially be allergic to when I use the restaurant / takeaway BUT if someone leaves their child in my care at my setting it is my responsibility to ensure that the child does not come into contact with any foods that they are allergic to.

 

I aim to just display a poster advising the foods that we serve from the list or those that contain traces of.

[AnonyMouse_8282]

edited as posted in wrong place!!

Edited December 1, 2014 by louby loo

[AnonyMouse_12805]

I am doing nothing as I have been told nothing ( apart from what I have managed to get from here)

 

And yes I am also sick to death of stupid rules and regulations and paperwork! We currently have no children with allergies and if we did I wouldn't give them anything they were allergic to. Displaying a poster and keeping food packaging won't make any difference.

[AnonyMouse_30128]

The problem is this is an EU law...it has been on it's way for 2 years and is to protect the public. We are in an unusual position that we know the medical history of our customers but most food bushiness do not...

If you have not received any info then i would suggest you check you are registered as a food business and then contact your EHO who will pass on the info you need.

[AnonyMouse_19762]

The problem is this is an EU law...it has been on it's way for 2 years and is to protect the public. We are in an unusual position that we know the medical history of our customers but most food bushiness do not...

If you have not received any info then i would suggest you check you are registered as a food business and then contact your EHO who will pass on the info you need.

Ah - another good point fm - am i right in thinking that if we only provide snacks we don't need to register as a 'food business' - here's hoping! :1b

[AnonyMouse_3735]

unless its changed.. we asked same and were told if we serve as much as a glass of water we had to register...has a questionnaire to fill out and sent it in.. but no one ever visited..

I remember on ours was one about if we serve water where does it come from?

[AnonyMouse_19762]

unless its changed.. we asked same and were told if we serve as much as a glass of water we had to register...has a questionnaire to fill out and sent it in.. but no one ever visited..

I remember on ours was one about if we serve water where does it come from?

[AnonyMouse_7120]

I,ve contacted Our EHO 3 times over 3 years to say we are open and what we do, apart from 1 email saying I should have told them 28 days before opening and they'd hand our details to correct department we still haven't had them visit 4 years later

 

I didn't get any questionnaire ...I hope you put 'we collect it in a rusty bucket when it rains' Inge

Edited December 2, 2014 by Mouseketeer

[AnonyMouse_12805]

Well I just dont care!

 

I contacted them around four years ago and have never heard from them since!

[AnonyMouse_8282]

NO!!

I love my EHO, I swear she is the most down-to-earth sensible person in the whole of our LA!!

[Guest]

We currently have no children with allergies and if we did I wouldn't give them anything they were allergic to. Displaying a poster and keeping food packaging won't make any difference.

I do worry about this though; I have always understood that some allergies e.g. nut allergies can start at any time - therefore, if that is the case, we cannot assume that the children in our care do not have allergies as this could begin from food that we give them - they might have been fine last week, but this week ... ... . Furthermore, we could give children something that they have never tried before, therefore their parents would not know about the allergy.

[AnonyMouse_30128]

I do worry about this though; I have always understood that some allergies e.g. nut allergies can start at any time - therefore, if that is the case, we cannot assume that the children in our care do not have allergies as this could begin from food that we give them - they might have been fine last week, but this week ... ... . Furthermore, we could give children something that they have never tried before, therefore their parents would not know about the allergy.

I fed my friends small child a strawberry yoghurt .....only to find out she was rather allergic to strawberries and had never had them (her grandmother said later that the whole family had an issue under the age of two but forgot to mention it!) I have never seen hives like it...took a while to live that one down!!!!

[AnonyMouse_12805]

But anyone can develop an allergy to anything at any point. So shall we not feed them anything?

[AnonyMouse_19782]

Keeping the packaging or having the poster up or any other way of recording allergens is so that you can inform your parents what goes into your food, they can either ask you what's in it if they are in any way concerned before you give it to their child. Or they can be made aware of generally what allergens may be present. You are also being educated at the same time, I didn't know that celery was an allergen for instance and that Marmite contains it!

 

You can also inform any parent at any time what allergens were in your food if a child develops symptoms later in the day.

 

It's just supplying information to your parents, it's not saying that so far you have been negligent and not asking about allergies and acting on an individual basis or that we shouldn't give the children anything to eat at all.

[AnonyMouse_3735]

Should be easier on pre-packed foods as they now have to list allergens in bold in the ingredients list..

it is a good idea to keep a record of what is in foods and give to anyone if they ask..

 

and as it is all over the news today the 'I was not told' will not really work..

[AnonyMouse_19762]

and as it is all over the news today the 'I was not told' will not really work..

 

I know - thought that myself - so no 'making like an ostrich' for me then!

[AnonyMouse_48226]

I have just spoken to my local environmental health department as my LA were about as much use as a chocolate teapot!! He has said that we (pre-schools, nurseries etc) fall into a very grey area but we are potentially covered as we already have details of any children with allergies. He has suggested that I just print off the matrix from the FSA and write what snack we provide and tick off the allergen in it. This does not have to be displayed but kept to hand so it can be updated as and when we provide anything new. Cakes and party food can still be made by parents as, again, we know who can have it and who can't.

[AnonyMouse_48226]

This is where the matrix is found about halfway down the page.

http://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/allergy-guide/allergen-resources

And he sent me the link

[AnonyMouse_39602]

We had visit from EHO couple of weeks ago nd yesterday received our sticker and hygiene rating , he never mentioned the new regs so we shall continue what we do , listing allergens in medical folder and snack prep folder , if a child develops an allergy we can always find the packing in the recycling.