Allergies, intolerances and other dietary requirements
Food allergies are common in Australia. Early childhood services who provide food to young children will need to plan their menus to accommodate children with food allergies. Some allergic reactions can be life-threatening, so it is important to know how to prepare and serve food safely for children with food allergies.
Allergy & intolerances hub contents
Early childhood services who provide food to young children will need to plan their menus to accommodate children with 
food allergies.
Some children might also have food intolerances, or have other special dietary requirements, such as vegetarian, vegan, halal, or kosher.
The Healthy Eating Advisory Service, in partnership with the National Allergy Council, have developed online training and factsheets to support services with menu planning for food allergies, intolerances, and other dietary requirements.
Training we provide
It is recommended that you complete the National Allergy Council’s All about Allergens for Children’s Education and Care course and HEAS’ course Managing allergies and other dieatary requirements in children’s education and care.
Managing allergies and other dietary requirements in children’s education and care
Allergy factsheets
All allergic reactions must be taken seriously, and staff should know how to manage an allergic reaction.
Best practice risk management procedures can make sure children with food allergies are served the right food. All staff responsible for preparing and serving food to children in their care must complete training on managing food allergies
8 Fact sheets available
The following factsheets are for staff who prepare and serve food in children’s education and care. They should be used alongside the online course: Managing allergies, intolerances, and other dietary requirements in children’s education and care. You will find a micro module for each of the food allergens.
Food intolerance and coeliac disease factsheets
A food intolerance is different to a food allergy. A food allergy is an immune reaction and can be life-threatening. A food intolerance can cause stomach upsets such as bloating, stomach pain, and diarrhoea. Food intolerance is not life-threatening.
Coeliac disease is a lifelong autoimmune condition. Children with coeliac disease need to avoid eating gluten. Coeliac disease is not the same as a wheat allergy.
2 Fact sheets available
The following factsheets are for staff who prepare and serve food in children’s education and care. They should be used alongside the online course: Managing allergies, intolerances, and other dietary requirements in children’s education and care. You will find a micro module specifically for Menu planning for food intolerances and Menu planning for coeliac disease.
Other dietary requirement factsheets
It is important to be aware of children’s specific dietary requirements. These include vegetarian, vegan, halal, and kosher requirements. Families may follow these dietary patterns for many reasons including culture, religion, and tradition.
The information presented on halal and kosher dietary requirements is intended as a guide only. Staff preparing food for children attending children’s education and care should speak with the child’s parents, or carers, about specific dietary customs and foods which are permitted and not permitted.
3 Fact sheets available
The following factsheets have been developed for staff responsible for food preparation in children’s education and care. They should be used alongside the online course: Managing allergies, intolerances, and other dietary requirements in children’s education and care. You will find a micro module specifically for Menu planning for other dietary requirements.
Developing best practice food allergy management in your service
Policy

It is important to have policies and procedures in place to make sure all staff know how to manage food allergies in their centre.
An allergy and anaphylaxis management policy template is available on the Allergy Aware website.
Managing allergens in your kitchen
Children with food allergies can react to very small amounts of the allergen in their food. Make sure you have good food allergen management processes to prevent the risk of cross contamination.
You will find information on managing cross contamination in each of the allergy factsheets. For more information on managing cross contamination, complete the National Allergy Council’s All about Allergens for Children’s Education and Care course and download the All about Allergens for Children’s Education and Care booklet.
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The Healthy Eating Advisory Service acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we operate. We pay our respects to them, their culture and their Elders past and present.
The Healthy Eating Advisory Service is delivered by experienced nutritionists and dietitians at National Nutrition Foundation, with support from the Victorian Government.
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