Australia’s National Allergy Council (NAC) is advocating for increased food allergy training for Early Childhood and Education (ECEC) professionals following a number of food allergy incidents in these settings.
In a recent ABC media report, NAC co-chair, Maria Said, stressed the potentially fatal consequences of food allergen mishandling and called for improved communication between staff and parents regarding allergy concerns. She noted a critical need for heightened allergy awareness and training within the food industry, particularly in childcare settings, to ensure the safety of children with food allergies.
With current ECEC regulations requiring just one staff member to be food service trained, the NAC note this falls short of their expectations and leaves early childhood centres ill-equipped to protect from harm any food allergic children in their care.
Allergy training courses are available free of charge, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health. These courses, including All about Allergens for Children’s Education and Care (CEC) can be accessed here.
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