You're busy preparing the meal at your early childhood education and care service and a piece of food drops onto the floor. You pick it up quickly, thinking, 'it's okay to serve because it was only on the floor for a few seconds'.
This common belief is wrong.
If food is dropped on the floor at any time, it is not safe to eat.
Reusing dropped food, sharing water bottles between children and not putting gloves on when wiping noses are just some of the examples of poor hygiene practices that we have seen lately and that should be avoided.
Here's why it is so important to prioritise good hygiene and minimise outbreaks of sickness in early childhood education and care services, and the impacts this has on children and families.
The reality of bacterial contamination
Bacteria and other microorganisms can attach to any surface, especially to a moist piece of food. Not only that, but bacteria multiply the second they come into contact with a surface, no matter how brief the period of contact.
Potentially dangerous pathogens such as salmonella and E. coli can live on hard surfaces for days and can cause mild to severe gut infections.
There is no safe time for food to be on the floor and it must be thrown out to maintain good hygiene and prevent illness.
Good hygiene practices are key
Bacteria and viruses have a long life on everyday objects. In an early childhood education and care setting, this means they can live on play equipment, toys, cups or utensils, water bottles and even paper.
This is particularly concerning as it suggests that the transfer rates to food from inanimate objects could be high, leading to potential contamination.
For instance, a teething baby might drool on an educator who doesn't sanitise their hands or wear gloves before setting out the cups and utensils for meal time, leading to the spread of bacteria and possible infection.
Here are some tips for prioritising hygiene with children:
- Maintaining hand hygiene is crucial at all times.
- Be vigilant about putting gloves on before wiping children’s noses and before meal service.
- Ensure children's drink bottles are full and always close so that there's never a need for sharing.
- Never let children have a sip of your water bottle.
- When meals are shared, always have extra utensils in case one is dropped on the floor.
- If a child drops food on the floor, never give it back, instead, identify if they are still hungry and offer them a replacement.
Meal times can sometimes be stressful with young children, but it's vital to never let hygiene slip. Always remember, there is no safe time for food to be on the floor.
Keeping it clean
In conclusion, drop the 3 second rule, practice good hand hygiene and keep your early childhood education and care settings clean and hygienic to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria and viruses.
All early childhood services are encouraged to complete the
free food handler training course—DoFoodSafely to understand:
- safe handling of food
- food contamination
- cleaning and sanitising of food premises and equipment
- personal hygiene.
More information
Health and Hygiene Regulatory Priority