We are committed to food safety including reducing the risks of choking.  

Ofsted guidance on food safety is given here:

https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-and-welfare/food-safety

How to reduce the risk of choking

Food preparation:

• remove any stones and pips from fruit before serving
• cut small round foods, like grapes, strawberries and cherry tomatoes, lengthways and into quarters
• cut large fruits like melon, and hard fruit or vegetables like raw apple and carrot into slices instead of small chunks
• do not offer raisins as a snack to children under 12 months – although these can be chopped up as part of a meal
• soften hard fruit and vegetables (such as carrot and apple) and remove the skins when first given to babies from around 6 months
• sausages should be avoided due to their high salt content, but if offered to children these should be cut into thin strips rather than chunks and remove the skins
• remove bones from meat or fish
• do not give whole nuts to children under five years old
• do not give whole seeds to children under five years old
• cut cheese into strips rather than chunks
• do not give popcorn as a snack
• do not give children marshmallows or jelly cubes from a packet either to eat or as part of messy play activities as they can get stuck in the throat
• do not give children hard sweets

(Ofsted, 2023)

Dated: 12 September 2024 Review date: December 2025