This week my 17 month old son has been sick. Nothing too serious - just "the runs" on a major scale - but as a result he has no appetite whatsoever.So as I diligently prepare cooked purees for him - only to have them not so politely refused or promptly spat out, I started thinking about the safety of reheating baby food.
It seems such a waste to throw out perfectly good food day after day, but because babies' immune systems are less developed than adults' and their tummies are particularly susceptible to bugs and infections so you have to be careful.
I found a lot of information on the site babycenter.com so I thought I would share this with you - just in case you are also having the same dilemmas.
* Baby food prepared in advance should be cooled quickly then stored in the fridge.
* Freeze anything that won't be used within 24 hours.
* When reheating baby food, make sure it is piping hot throughout (you should be able to see steam coming out) and then let it cool down before you give it to your baby.
* Don't reheat baby food more than once.
* You can use a microwave to reheat baby food, but be careful for hot spots
* If your baby leaves any food in his bowl after a meal, always throw it away. Food that has been in contact with saliva (from your baby's mouth or a feeding spoon) will contain bacteria that will multiply if kept.
* Check the temperature of your fridge; it should be between 0 degrees C and 5 degrees C (32 - 41 degrees F).
* Change kitchen cloths and tea towels frequently. (Hot tip - Placing your dishwashing sponge in the microwave on high for two minutes kills up to 90% of germs)
* If food is frozen, defrost it thoroughly before you cook it, unless the food label says otherwise.
I hope this helps
I better run..... There is sure to be a lovely nappy waiting for me - and it's not going to change itself :-(
Jennifer xx
I like your blog.I'm waiting for your new posts.
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