Food Hygiene

Policy statement

Balham Community Centre maintains the highest possible food hygiene standards

with regard to the purchase, storage, preparation and serving of food.

We are registered as a food provider with the local authority Environmental Health Department.

Procedures

  • The person in charge and the person responsible for food preparation understand the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) as it applies to their business. This is set out in Safer Food Better Business. The basis for this is risk assessment as is applies to the purchase, storage, preparation and serving of food to prevent growth of bacteria and food contamination.

  • All staff follow the guidelines of Safer Food Better Business.

  • All staff serving food have an in-date Food Hygiene Certificate.

  • The person responsible for food preparation and serving carries out daily opening and closing checks on the kitchen to ensure standards are met consistently. (See Safer Food Better Business.)

  • We use reliable suppliers for the food we purchase.

  • Food is stored at correct temperatures and is checked to ensure it is in-date and not subject to contamination by pests, rodents or mould.

  • Food preparation areas are cleaned before use as well as after use.

  • There are separate facilities for hand-washing and for washing up.

  • All surfaces are clean and non-porous.

  • All utensils, crockery etc. are clean and stored appropriately.

  • Waste food is disposed of daily.

  • Cleaning materials and other dangerous materials are stored out of children's reach.

  • Children do not have unsupervised access to the kitchen.

When children take part in cooking activities, they:

  • are supervised at all times;

  • understand the importance of hand washing and simple hygiene rules

  • are kept away from hot surfaces and hot water; and

  • do not have unsupervised access to electrical equipment such as blenders etc.

Reporting of food poisoning

Food poisoning can occur for a number of reasons; not all cases of sickness or diarrhoea are as a result of food poisoning and not all cases of sickness or diarrhoea are reportable.

 

  • Where children and/or adults have been diagnosed by a GP or hospital doctor to be suffering from food poisoning and where it seems possible that the source of the outbreak is within our setting, the Centre Manager will contact the Environmental Health Department and the Health Protection Agency, to report the outbreak and will comply with any investigation.

  • If the food poisoning is identified as a notifiable disease under the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 1988 the manager will report the matter to Ofsted.

  • We notify Ofsted as soon as reasonably practicable of any confirmed cases of food poisoning affecting two or more children looked after on the premises, and always within 14 days of the incident.