Why is food safety important in child care settings?

• Most children under the age of six receive some form of non-parental care.
• Young children are especially susceptible to foodborne illnesses because their immune systems aren't fully developed. Such illnesses can cause serious side effects, even death.
• Illness originally caused by foodborne bacteria is easily spread by children who have diarrhea.

Safe Handling of Babies Bottles

Clean

Wash bottles, bottle caps, and nipples in the dishwasher. If you wash them by hand, wash them in warm water with dish soap. Rinse well and then boil for five minutes.

Refrigerate

Keep filled bottles of formula or breast milk in the refrigerator until just before feeding.

Refrigerate open containers of ready-to-feed or concentrated formula.

Warming

Place bottles in hot (not boiling) water for five minutes.

Shake well and test milk temperature by putting a few drops on the inside of your wrist to make sure it's not too hot before feeding.

Never Microwave Baby Bottles

Why? Microwaves heat to very high temperatures and heat unevenly. They could make a portion of the milk too hot. The baby's mouth and throat could be scalded.