National Network for Child
Care
FOOD SAFETY:
TIPS FOR FEEDING INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
Rachel C. Swicker
Registered Dietitian; District
Specialist, Communities, Families and Youth
Cooperative Extension
University of Massachusetts
Copyright/Access Information
FOOD POISONING
Food poisoning can make children
and adults very sick. Symptoms may
include diarrhea, vomiting nausea, stomachache, headache, weakness and fever.
Food poisoning results from
eating food that has not been handled properly.
Bacteria in the food causes the illness.
To prepare food safely, you need to follow some rules for food
preparation.
If you are not certain that food
(especially leftover food) is safe to eat, throw it out. Eating un-safe food can cause food poisoning.
FOOD FOR
INFANTS
Bacteria multiply quickly at
room temperature. Always keep
formula-filled bottles cold until feeding time.
Throw away any formula left in the bottle after feeding. Do not feed a baby any formula that has been
left out of the refrigerator or that smells sour.
Do not microwave breast milk or
formula. Milk heated in a microwave may
burn the baby’s mouth or throat because the milk can get too hot.
Do not feed infants less than
one year old honey . Honey can cause infant botulism. Honey used in cooking and baking is
dangerous, too. The botulism spores that
cause illness are not destroyed by regular cooking methods.
Cover home-prepared baby food
immediately and put in the refrigerator.
Better still, freeze it in ice cube trays. Once the food is frozen, put the food cubes
in a plastic freezer bag to prevent freezer burn. The cubes can be heated in a custard dish
over boiling water at feeding time.
Never refreeze thawed food.
If the whole jar of baby food
will not be eaten at once, put the food to be eaten in the baby’s bowl. The jar of leftover food should be
refrigerated and used within two days.
Throw out any leftovers in the baby’s bowl.
FOOD FOR
TODDLERS
Even though a child may seem
big, avoid food with pits (like olives and cherries). Food such as hard candies, nuts, grapes,
peanut butter not served on bread or crackers and hot dogs or meat sticks that
have not been cut lengthwise are also dangerous. These foods may cause choking.
Foods may also get stuck in the
throats of children who are allowed to walk around with food in their
mouths. Make a rule: Eating is allowed
only at the table.
RESOURCES TO
EXPLORE
Contact your local Cooperative
Extension office for free food safety bulletins and classes. Cooperative Extension is listed under state
or county government in your telephone directory.
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DOCUMENT USE/COPYRIGHT
National Network for Child Care
- NNCC. Part of CYFERNET, the National Extension Service Children Youth and
Family Educational Research Network.
Permission is granted to reproduce these materials in whole or in part
for educational purposes only (not for profit beyond the cost of reproduction)
provided that the author and Network receive acknowledgment and this notice is
included:
Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care -
NNCC.
Swicker, R.C. (1991). *Food safety: Tips for feeding infants and young
children*
(Family Day Care Facts
series). Amherst, MA: University of
Massachusetts.
Any additions or changes to
these materials must be preapproved by the author.
Copyright Permission Access
Gretchen May
Tillson House
University of Massachusetts
Box 37605
Amherst, MA 01003-7605
Phone: (413) 549-8800
Fax: (413) 549-6337
E-mail: gmay@coopext.umass.edu
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