Food safety & hygiene

Hands are one of the easiest ways for bacteria to spread.

• Before you start anything (handling food, equipment or touching a surface) make sure to wash your hands with soap and warm water.

• Hand washing should be frequent and effective throughout all stages of food preparation, cooking and administering a blend.

• Take extra care to wash them when handling raw meat.

Food ingredients used in blends should be appropriately stored and cooked ahead of blending and used within its ‘use by’ date.

• It is recommended that raw meat or fish is stored in a sealed container on the bottom shelf of the fridge.

• Raw and cooked food ingredients should be separated during storage and preparation.

• Wash hands before starting.

• Wipe surfaces before food preparation and keep the work area clean and tidy as you go.

• Ensure equipment used to prepare and administer blends is also clean. If required wash in warm soapy water, rinse and air dry.

• Keep raw food separate from cooked foods. This includes using a different chopping board.

Foods should be prepared as if they were to be eaten orally: for example, a chicken breast should be thoroughly cooked prior to blending.

• Make sure you cook food at the right temperature (see guidelines on the packaging).

• Cook the food to be used in the blend as if it was to be eaten orally (before blending it with liquid)

• Any equipment used in preparation, such as blenders, bowls, utensils and chopping boards need to be thoroughly cleaned. Use warm soapy water or according to manufacturer guidelines.

• Ensure all extension sets and syringes are cleaned thoroughly according to manufactures guidelines after use.

• Once cooked, any food, including the final blend, should not be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours before being consumed, put in the fridge or freezer.

• Blends can be stored in the refrigerator (below 5°C) for up to 24-48 hours.

• Blends can be stored in the freezer (below -18°C) for 1-3 months.

• Blends should be stored in an airtight container and situated above any raw foods to avoid cross contamination.

• Labelling blends stored in the freezer with a description, ‘made on’ and ‘use by date’ would be helpful when batch blending in advance.

• Ideally the blend should be maintained at temperatures less than 5°C during transport, until ready to be given.

• Transportation can be facilitated by the use of a cool box and ice or gel packs that are evenly distributed in the box.

• Time spent in transport and storage counts as part of the whole storage period. Therefore, appropriate storage conditions should be maintained throughout.

• Settings such as Schools should have suitable refrigeration capacity to store blends at the right temperature and avoid cross contamination.

• Frozen blends should be defrosted thoroughly in the refrigerator (below 5°C).

• Defrosted foods should be discarded after 24-48hrs if not used, as with freshly prepared blends.

• Blends that contain meat, chicken and previously cooked foods require reheating to 70°C for several minutes (‘piping hot’ or ‘steaming hot’).

• Blends are often easier to administer if given warm as the viscosity is reduced.

• Blends should not be dehydrated at home.

Reheating blends stored in the fridge:

Blends containing meat, poultry or previously cooked foods:

• Remove from the fridge, transfer to a suitable container (if not already in one) and microwave until ‘steaming hot’ or ‘piping hot’ throughout. If using a food thermometer reach a minimum of 70°C for at least two minutes.

• Allow to cool before administering, until at a temperature that could be safely eaten orally.

Blends not containing meat, poultry or previously cooked foods or a blend made from foods that could be eaten cold (e.g. sandwiches, yogurts, jarred baby food):

• Option 1 – remove blend from the fridge and stand on a work surface to allow it to come to room temperature.

• Option 2 – remove blend from fridge and place the container in a jug of hot water for no more than 10 minutes. Shake or stir before administering.