Essential Principles of Safe Food Preparation for Infants

1
Essential Principles of Safe Food Preparation for
Infants Children

• By
• Dr Deryck D. Pattron, Ph.D.
• FDI, Ministry of Health
• Trinidad, West Indies

2
What is Food Safety?

• Food safety is the assurance that food when
  consumed in its usual manner does not pose a
  threat to human health and well being

3
Why is Food Safety Important for Infants
Children

• Infants and children represent one of the special
  target groups
• They are particularly vulnerable to infections
  and injury because they have incompletely
  developed immune and organ systems that are
  incapable of dealing with physical, chemical and
  microbiological agents

4
Why is Food Safety Important for Infants
Children (contd)

• Food if not prepared properly under strict
  sanitary and hygienic conditions can be a major
  source of disease causing organisms or infective
  agents leading to illnesses, undue human
  suffering and deaths leading to a loss of
  valuable human potential and increased economic
  burden that perpetuates the cycle of poverty
  particularly in developing countries

5
Why is Food Safety Important for Infants
Children (contd)

• The World Health Organization estimates that
  every year 1500 million episodes of diarrhoea
  occur worldwide in infants and children under the
  age of five and 3 million die as a result
• It is imperative that food handlers and parents
  exercise due diligence i.e. do all in their power
  to ensure safe food preparation for infants and
  children

6
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases

• Adopt, implement and follow the 4Cs.
• Clean and sanitise
• Cook food thoroughly
• Cover and separate food
• Chill and serve food at appropriate temperature.
  i.e.
• serve hot foods hot (60 ºC or above) and cold
  foods cold (0 ºC or below)

7
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Food safety begins with clean hands, counter
  tops, equipment, utensils, personal hygiene and
  sanitary food preparation environment
• Competence and knowhow on how to produce safe
  food
• Will power to put food safety first on the agenda
  to ensure health and well being for the family,
  community, country, nation

8
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Food safety begins with clean hands!
• Wash hands and forearms thoroughly with soap and
  warm water for at least 20 seconds, scrubbing the
  palms, back of hands, between fingers and under
  nails, rinse thoroughly and dry with an air dryer
  or disposable single-use paper towel

9
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Wash Hands After
• Coughing or sneezing
• Leaving any work area
• Engaging in any work
• After eating, drinking, smoking
• Nose and body touching
• Handling raw unprocessed food such as poultry,
  beef, pork, eggs, seafood and shellfish
• After using the bathroom and changing room
• New tasks other than handling food
• Disposing of wash water, waste water or mop
  water
• Scraping or cleaning food or soil from the
  equipment

10
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Use Safe Water
• Potable unadulterated water should be used in all
  food preparations
• Water should be boiled, cooled and scooped out
  from a covered container prior to use in food
  preparations
• Remember that ice made with unsafe water will
  also be unsafe and should not be used in food

11
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Wash Fruits Vegetables Thoroughly
• Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly with
  potable water
• It may be advisable to use a safe sanitizer such
  as chlorine (1 teaspoon to 1 gallon of water).
  Soak fruits and vegetables for 5-10 seconds and
  thoroughly rinse before use
• Do not give fruits and vegetables to infants and
  children if they are grown in contaminated soil
  or contain high levels of pesticides and other
  toxic chemicals

12
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Washing, Sterilising Bottles, Utensils
  Equipment
• Sterilise all bottles, cups and utensils before
  use
• Sterilizing can be achieved by boiling in water
  for 5 minutes or by using a sterilizing solution

13
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Cook Food Thoroughly
• Foods such as raw milk, poultry and vegetables
  should be cooked thoroughly
• All parts of the food should reach an internal
  temperature of 70 ºC
• Check all cooked foods using a food thermometer
  to ensure complete cooking

14
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Avoid Storing Cooked Foods for any long Periods
• Freshly prepare food for infants and children
• If food is to be stored, it should be done only
  for the next meal
• Keep cool food cool at a temperature of 5 ºC and
  hot food hot at a temperature of 60 ºC or above
• Stored food should be re-heated thoroughly at
  least 70 ºC

15
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Avoid Contact Between Raw Cooked Foods
• Cover and separate raw from cooked or
  ready-to-eat foods
• Wash hands and utensils before, during and after
  use to minimize cross-contamination
• Ensure that any new ingredient added to cooked
  food does not introduce pathogenic organisms
• If this is the case food needs to be thoroughly
  cooked again or thrown out

16
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Avoid Feeding Infants Young Children with a
  Bottle
• Bottles and teat feeding devices are difficult to
  clean and sterilize and may harbour disease
  causing organisms
• Use clean and boiled cups, spoons, dishes and
  utensils when feeding infants and young children

17
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Protect Foods from Vermins Other Animals
• Food preparation areas should be free from
  vermins and pets
• Their presence could lead to cross-contamination
  and pose a serious health hazard for infants and
  children
• Pests and pets should not be allowed in the food
  processing areas or close to infants and children

18
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Store Toxic Chemicals In A Safe Place
• Sanitizers, pesticides and disinfecting solutions
  should be labelled appropriately and stored
  separately from food
• Containers that had toxic chemicals should not be
  recycled and used as storage containers for
  infant and children food

19
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Keep Food Preparation Surfaces and Premises
  Meticulously Clean
• All food surfaces should be cleaned and sanitized
  before and after food preparation
• Premises should be constructed in accordance with
  good manufacturing practices, good building
  practices and maintained in a good state of
  repair to minimize cross-contamination and
  adulteration of food

20
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Foods to be Avoided by Infants Children
• Uncooked fermented meats, such as salami
• Unpasteurised milk and milk products such as raw
  milk, cheese, other dairy foods
• Raw or undercooked meat, particularly minced
  meat, poultry, fish and shellfish

21
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Food to be Avoided by Infants Children (contd)
• Raw sprouts such as clover, radish and alfalfa
• Unpasteurised fruit juices
• Partially cooked eggs
• Contaminated fruits and vegetables

22
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Infants 4-6 months should be fed breast milk
• Milk can be expressed and stored in a sterile
  container with a lid
• Breast milk can only be safely stored in a fridge
  for up to 48 h
• Breast milk can be safely stored in a freezer for
  up to three months

23
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Frozen milk should be thawed in the refrigerator
• To warm milk gradually by placing the bottle in
  hot water
• Avoid over heating the milk as this may affect
  the immunological properties

24
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Any partially consumed milk or food should be
  discarded
• If a breast pump is used, all parts of the breast
  pump should be washed with a mild detergent and
  left to air-dry
• Microwave ovens should not be used to warm milk,
  because milk is not warmed evenly and may appear
  hotter that what it really is and may destroy the
  immunological properties

25
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Infant Formula
• Professional advice should be followed before
  using an infant formula
• Always follow instructions on the infant formula
  packaging
• Powder formula should be prepared fresh each day

26
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Infant Formula
• Infant bottles containing formula should be
  stored in the fridge and warmed up immediately
• Any partially consumed milk should be discarded
• Fresh milk should be made just before for the
  next feeding

27
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Solid Food (commercially prepared)
• Read and follow instructions on the label of
  commercially prepared infant food
• When opening infant food in vacuum-sealed jars
  listen for a popping sound which indicates the
  jars seal was intact
• If the jar fails to pop when open, do not use the
  food

28
What can be done to Prevent Exposure of Infants
Children to Foodborne Diseases (contd)

• Solid Food (Contd)
• Swollen or leaking jars and cans indicate that
  harmful microorganisms may have grown, and should
  not be consumed
• Once open all food should be used or stored in
  the refrigerator for not more than three days
• Throw out the contents of any product if it has
  an unusual odour and colour

29
Points to Remember when Cooking Food for Infants
Children

• Keep hot foods steaming hot
• Keep cold food refrigerated
• Cook food to the right internal temperature
• Separate raw and ready to eat food
• Keep kitchen and utensils clean
• Wash hands thoroughly and repeatedly with soap
  and dry on a clean towel

30
Points to Remember when Packing Lunches for
School or Child Care Center

• Ensure food preparation surfaces, hands and
  utensils are clean when preparing and packing the
  lunch
• Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly
• Lunches should be kept cool. It may be advisable
  to pack something frozen such as juice box first
  and then pack cold meats, chicken or eggs
  sandwiches between the cold item.

31
Points to Remember when Packing Lunches for
School or Child Care Center (contd)

• Throw out any leftovers
• Warn children against sharing drink bottles
• Warn children against buying poorly cooked food
  from unsanitary and unhygienic vendors
• Warn children against buying and consuming
  beverages contained in reused bottles and cans
• Warn children against buying food in bottles and
  cans which have broken seals and over the expiry
  date

32
What can Parents Teach their Children about Food
Safety?

• Teach children to wash and dry their hands before
  touching and eating food
• After touching chicken or raw meat
• After using the toilet
• After blowing their nose
• After playing with a pet
• After touching anything dirty

33
What can Parents Teach their Children about Food
Safety? (contd)

• Do not eat food from the floor
• Do not buy food from roadside vendors
• Do not eat raw or partially cooked foods
• Do not accept food from strangers
• Encourage children to ask questions about foods
  they are not comfortable with or have concerns
  about food safety

34
Conclusions

• The World Health Organization has reported that
  up
• to 70 of diarrhoeal diseases may be foodborne
  related and transmitted through food
  contamination during preparation to infants and
  children
• The recommendations outlined in this presentation
  should provide the basis for the preparation of
  safe food for one of our most valuable and
  vulnerable in society-infants and children
• It is hoped that observance of these basic
  guidelines will contribute to the prevention of
  diarrhoeal diseases that if not addressed may
  lead to malnutrition and possibly death of
  infants and children

35
References

• Pattron, D. (2005). Food Safety and Children at
  Carnival Time. Ringgold GA Ideamarketers
• Pattron, D. (2004). Food Safety. New York
  Scientific Publishers
• Pattron, D. (2004). Quality Assurance and Food
  Safety. New York Scientific Publishers
• World Health Organization. (1996). Basic
  Principles for the preparation of safe food for
  infants and young children. Geneva WHO