Protecting Your Little Ones: Essential Food Safety Practices

Children do not have the same immune system, and that makes them more likely to become ill from foodborne contamination or illnesses. Children do not have the developed digestive system either, and that means they cannot break down the bacteria as well. Because of this, you need to know what foods you should never feed your little one. Below is a list of the foods that you should keep away from any children under five.

Meats

There are a number of meat types that you should be very careful with when feeding them to small children and babies. These include the following:

• Fermented meats that are uncooked. You can recognize them by labelling. They should say “heat treated” on them. If they do not, then do not feed them to a child. An example would be salami.
• Undercooked meats. These foods are extremely dangerous for small children who may not be able to fend off food poisoning. These meats include: minced meat, fish, shellfish, chicken, turkey.

Dairy

There are also dairy products that could be dangerous for your little one. Make sure to choose dairy carefully and avoid the following:

• Unpasteurised Milk
• Raw Cheese
• Unpasteurised Cheese
• Dairy Products Included Unpasteurised Milk

Miscellaneous

A few more products that you should never feed your small child include the following:

• Raw Alfalfa
• Clover
• Radishes
• Other Raw Sprouts
• Unpasteurized Fruit Juice (the label will tell you whether it is or not)
• Fresh Squeezed Fruit Juice

Remember that babies are much more susceptible to food poisoning than you are. In order to keep your little one safe and healthy, ensure that you avoid these foods carefully when you are choosing their diet.