Keep your baby’s food safe
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EmailYoung children are at risk for foodborne illness.
Michigan State University Extension wants your whole family to have safe food. This means that when feeding a baby, you need to be thinking about food safety. The elderly, people with compromised immune systems and young children, like babies, are the most vulnerable to foodborne illness. Make sure that when you are feeding a baby you practice food safety.
Here are some tips to handle and store baby food safely from the Partnership for Food Safety Education.
- Use a food thermometer to be sure reheated solid foods reach an internal temperature of 165° to ensure bacterial have been killed.
- When using a microwave to reheat food, stir the food during heating to produce an even heat and to avoid hot or cold spots.
- Allow food to cool, covered, until it is the right temperature to serve.
- Defrost foods safely: in the refrigerator, cold water or the microwave.
- Foods defrosted in the microwave should be cooked immediately as the cooking process has already begun.
- Food defrosted in cold water requires running water at 70 F.
- Leftovers must be discarded because they have been contaminated by the baby’s saliva.
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- Using a clean spoon, take only a portion of the food from the jar or container of baby food and place it in a clean bowl.
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- Heat only the portion of food removed from the jar.
- Refrigerate unserved portions in the refrigerated at 40 F or below.
- Label the jar with the date is was opened.
These tips are not just for parents, but are also for grandparents, babysitters and childcare providers. The tips can help to reduce the risk of food poisoning of small children. Keeping the children in your care healthy is important. Follow these tips to keep baby’s food safe and make sure that you’re keeping your food safe too.
