National Network for Child Care's Connections
Newsletter
Julie A. Albrecht
Extension Foods Specialist
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension
Copyright/Access Information
Conduct a food-safety self-inspection with the following checklist
to help you provide safe food for the children in your care.
Test your food preparation skills by answering the following questions.
Concentrate on one section at a time. Choose a time when food
preparation is in progress. Check either yes or no. Questions
receiving a "no" answer indicate areas that you should
change.
(YES / NO) Are food handlers well groomed (clean clothing,
restrained hair, and clean hands, including fingernails)?
(YES / NO) Do food handlers wash their hands frequently (after
using the bathroom, after coughing or sneezing, and after handling
raw foods, dirty dishes, or garbage)?
(YES / NO) Do you and your staff follow proper hand washing procedures?
(YES / NO) Are food handlers' hands free from cuts and sores?
(YES / NO) Do food handlers wear plastic gloves or other waterproof
protection if cuts and sores are present?
(YES / NO) Are you and your staff generally in good health?
(YES / NO) Do you buy foods from reliable suppliers?
(YES / NO) Do the foods you buy meet your child care center's
standards?
(YES / NO) Does someone check the food for adequate frozen (0
degrees) or refrigerated temperatures (40 degrees), damage or
insect infestation, expiration dates, and other quality indicators,
before accepting them?
(YES / NO) Is the food receiving area clean?
(YES / NO) Do you use appropriate food-storage containers (no
garbage bags, etc.)?
(YES / NO) Do you store raw foods separately from cooked foods?
(YES / NO) Are the food storage areas clean?
(YES / NO) Is food stored away from cleaning agents and other
supplies?
(YES / NO) Is food stored off the floors?
(YES / NO) Is the dry food storage area dry and between 40 degrees
Fahrenheit and 70 degrees Fahrenheit?
(YES / NO) Do you store foods to ensure a first-in, first-out
use?
(YES / NO) Do you label food packages and containers to indicate
contents and date of storage?
(YES / NO) Do you maintain the refrigerator at or below 40 degrees
and the freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit?
(YES / NO) Do you have an accurate thermometer in the refrigerator
and freezer?
(YES / NO) Is the equipment in good working condition?
(YES / NO) Are food handlers following proper procedures for operating
the equipment?
(YES / NO) Do you and staff members properly clean and sanitize
equipment (especially sink spigots) after each use?
(YES / NO) Do staff members follow proper dishwashing (manual
or automatic) procedures?
(YES / NO) Are food handlers properly cleaning and sanitizing
cutting boards and food contact work surfaces after each use?
(YES / NO) Do you thaw frozen foods in a microwave, under refrigeration,
under cold running water, or cook foods directly in the frozen
state?
(YES / NO) During food preparation, are food handlers keeping
food in the danger zone (40 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees
Fahrenheit) for less than 2 hours?
(YES / NO) Do you cook food items to the proper internal temperatures
(180 degrees Fahrenheit for chicken, 170 degrees Fahrenheit for
pork, and 160 degrees Fahrenheit for ground beef and meat loaf)?
(YES / NO) Do you use a thermometer to check the temperature of
a cooked product or refrigerated food?
(YES / NO) Do you keep and serve hot foods at 140 degrees Fahrenheit
or above and cold foods at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below?
(YES / NO) Do you store hot foods in shallow containers and refrigerate
immediately?
(YES / NO) Do you wash raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly before
serving?
(YES / NO) Is there minimal handling of foods during preparation?
(YES / NO) During preparation, do food handlers taste food in
a sanitary manner? Do they use a separate utensil?
(YES / NO) Do you reheat leftovers to 165 degrees Fahrenheit and
serve immediately?
(YES / NO) Do you use proper sanitizing procedures for infant
bottles?
(YES / NO) Do you properly sanitize the equipment you use to prepare
infant formulas?
(YES / NO) Do you check the expiration dates on the products before
use?
(YES / NO) Do you use safe water for infant formula preparation?
(YES / NO) After preparing formulas, do you label bottles with
the children's names and the date?
(YES / NO) Do you cover the formula and refrigerate it after preparation?
(YES / NO) Do you use formulas made from powdered formula within
24 hours?
(YES / NO) Do you use formulas made from concentrated liquid formulas
within 48 hours?
(YES / NO) Do you discard the partially consumed milk or formula
remaining in the bottle?
(YES / NO) Do you remove baby food from jars with a clean spoon
and serve it in dishes to infants? (If food remains in the jar,
tightly close, date, and store it in the refrigerator. Use opened
containers within 72 hours.)
(YES / NO) Do you warm food just before eating? Does food remain
in the danger zone (40 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit)
for less than 2 hours?
(YES / NO) Do you dispose of the uneaten food on plates?
(YES / NO) Do children wash their hands before and after eating?
(YES / NO) Do you clean and sanitize tables, chairs, and high
chairs?
(YES / NO) Do food handlers use utensils instead of hands to serve
foods?
(YES / NO) Do food handlers wear plastic gloves while serving
food?
(YES / NO) Do you place silverware on the tables in a way that
prevents contamination?
(YES / NO) Are replacements available if children drop their silverware
on the floor?
(YES / NO) Do you use separate cloths and sponges for the children,
tables, and floor spills?
(YES / NO) Are the kitchen and eating areas clean?
(YES / NO) Is the garbage kept covered and located away from food
preparation, food storage, and the children's play area?
(YES / NO) Do you keep the restrooms clean and supplied with liquid
soap and single-use towels or forced-air blowers?
(YES / NO) Do you empty wastebaskets regularly?
(YES / NO) Is the diapering area away from the food preparation
area?
(YES / NO) Do you sanitize and keep the diapering area clean?
(YES / NO) Do you discard soiled diapers promptly?
(YES / NO) Do you keep live animals away from food preparation
and serving areas?