After the spinach scare (remember that fiasco) parents really started to be more concerned about what was going into their children’s mouths. However, there’s no need to panic over food safety.

Food safety is important, especially where little ones are concerned. Your baby or toddler’s tummy is smaller than an adults, and their immune systems aren’t as well developed, so bad food has the potential to make your baby sicker than it might make you. Keep in mind though that common sense can take care of a lot of food safety issues. For example, don’t serve expired food, or food that smells funny.

Other food safety tips for baby and toddler health:

• Don’t bag produce in the same bags as meat or poultry at the grocery store.
• Never use the same cutting board for produce and meat.
• Stay clear of bruised fruits and veggies.
• After cutting food always wash the cutting board, counter under the cutting board, knife, and your hands well with super hot soapy water. It’s better if you can toss them in the dishwasher though.
• Always wash fruit and veggies well before you cut them - even rind items like melons. Although you don’t eat the rind, contamination from the knife slicing through can get to the fruit.
• Some experts even recommend you use a good stiff brush to wash the outsides of produce with tough skin (potatoes, cucumbers, melons, and squash, for example).

The “Tweetie” Vegetable Brush from Speranza Design Gallery is one cute veggie brush option.

For more baby food safety check out:  

• Can your baby have honey bread?
• Baby food safety tips