Allergen information:

 

From December 2014, the EU Food Information for Consumers

Regulation (EU FIC) came into force. This essentially means there is a change in the way that childminders provide information to parents. There is now a legal responsibility to provide allergen

information, about the ingredients that is in the food that is preparedfor your child. 

 

This information needs to be shared and kept updated whilst your child is in my care. As I provide food, it is my responsibility to know which allergenic ingredients are present in the food that your child isgiven. 

 

See the chart for the 14 major allergens, please use this chart to

also document any information relating to your child. This will

then be used to ensure that your child is not given any foods where an identified allergen is present.

 

“From 13 December 2014, all food businesses including childminders will need to provide allergen information on the foods they sell or provide”

and

“As a childminder, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have allergen information to provide for the food you serve and that this is accurate, consistent and verifiable.

 

 

 

Most importanly for childminders to note is we do not have to write down every single ingredient in every single meal and snack we serve. We do have to make the information available to parents on which allergens are in the food we serve. This can be through written menus with allergen information incorporated into them but it is also enough to tell parents verbally if they request the information. As long as you have signposted where parents can get information such as a poster or an email saying “please ask me if you wish to know the allergens in the food I serve” then then you are still compiling with the new legislation. We need to keep all food receipts for 3 months so this will make it easier to see what ingridients are in the food you provide if you prepare meals for your children. Page 9 of the booklet has further information about how to provide allergen information.

 

It is now both the responsibility of the parent and childminders to ensure we know if children we care for have any allergies.

 

Childminders already have a lot of paperwork to do so my aim is not to create more unnecessary work for myself, therefore I have done the below in preparation for the new legislation:

 

• Completed the FSA online food allergen training course which is available for free and counts towards 3 hours of my CPD.

• Downloaded a copy of the 14 allergens list from the FSA website and displayed on my notice board with a note to parents to ask me if they require more information.

• Emailed parents informing them of the new legislation and asking them to let me know if they require ingredients lists as well as attaching the 14 allergens document.