Heating child's lunches

[AnonyMouse_6721]

We are a term time only pack away setting open until 3 two days and 1pm 3 days. We have a child that attends all the hours that we are open and Mum has asked today about us heating his lunch.

 

I have only been at this setting a term but previously at other settings I have always said no. Our numbers are quite low so we can't afford to upset anyway, so I said I would look into it. There is a microwave in the kitchen.

 

Where do I find the info on safe heating of food though. Do other pack away settings offer this?

Edited September 6, 2017 by diesel10

[AnonyMouse_19782]

^{Seems simple doesn't it? Parents would be gobsmacked to know the difficult position this places us in, for so many reasons.}

 

^{We had one child, admittedly 3 years ago - but she used to bring in a wide-necked flask which would have something like spaghetti bol in it and I never said no to this as at the time I felt that mum had prepared it in her own kitchen, put it in the flask etc. and so if anything happened she was taking the risk not me. That said, don't know how I would feel about it today!}

 

^{Child's hot food flask}

Edited September 7, 2017 by Rebecca
Hyperlink added as previous link was full URL

[AnonyMouse_5970]

We've never had a problem with heating lunches (although we're not a pack away setting). If you are re-heating previously cooked food, it needs to reach 75 degrees, if it hasn't been cooked or heated before, it's 65 degrees. You will need a food temperature probe but these are quite inexpensive. You will also need to record the temperature and time somewhere. If you have a Safer Food Better Business folder, you can record it there, or just in a notebook otherwise.

[AnonyMouse_11134]

http://www.somerset.gov.uk/EasySiteWeb/GatewayLink.aspx?alId=41774 - Page 19

 

We follow these guidelines for re-heating food - Re-heated food is required to exceed 82 degrees, as appose to freshly cooked food at 75 Degrees. As full day care we don't find this an issue, but we do have appropriate kitchen access to be able to offer this.

Edited September 7, 2017 by NickyR

[AnonyMouse_51737]

We refuse to do it, if it's not cooked properly and you reheat the child becomes ill - where does the responsibility lie?

[AnonyMouse_8282]

We are a pack-away and our EH officer told us we were not to reheat food.

[AnonyMouse_7120]

Will you be charging for this service ;-)

[AnonyMouse_30128]

if you are worried you can email your local eho for their advice. They are very helpful and actually look at you contacting them favourably! you can download the safer food better business guidelines online.....the childminder one doesn't actually say anything about temperatures for food reheating, nor does it suggest you need to record much.

We do reheat food (except rice) and have a temperature probe. According to the most recent food standards agency guideline food must be steaming hot but there is no temperature requirement...a temp of 82 degrees is required in Scotland unless it will be at the detriment of the food! (clear then!!!)

[FSFRebecca]

Don't forget about getting food handling training for any staff who are going to be touching food :1b

[AnonyMouse_6721]

Will you be charging for this service ;-)

I did suggest this especially as we have a coin meter for the power points!!!!

[AnonyMouse_7120]

A pound a blast sounds good to me diesel ...it might put them off :-)

[AnonyMouse_71648]

Hi all 

Does anyone happen to have a policy on the reason why they do not re -heat rice. We presently have 2 unhappy parents, who feel that we should be doing this 

Thanks   

[AnonyMouse_7120]

We don’t reheat anything ....but then no-one has ever asked for it,  with rice there are ways to reheat it safely but re-heating problems arise with rice and other foods (and what I’d be using as the reason not to) when you don’t know how quickly it was fridged after it was cooked at home or even if it has been, you wouldn’t be able to guarantee how long ago it was first cooked, you’d have to reheat it to such a high temp lunch time would be over before it was cool enough for them to eat ....but that said the reheated Chinese takeaway hasn’t killed me yet 

[AnonyMouse_30128]

https://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/can-reheating-rice-cause-food-poisoning.aspx?CategoryID=51

try here for info.

[AnonyMouse_81992]

We don't reheat food but encourage parents to use food flasks which work perfectly fine!

[AnonyMouse_12805]

When we had EH in doing a spot check we were told to try and discourage parents from sending food in within a food flask as it should be maintained at a constant temp of (I think) 66 degrees to stop bacteria and that in one of those flasks you couldn't guarantee the temp.