Just Jot it January - 25/1/24 - Cheesy

Today's word for the twenty-fifth prompt for Just Jot it January 2024  comes from Yvensong. Click here to visit her blog.

For all the rules, details etc about the Just Jot it January challenge click here.

The prompt for JusJoJan January 25th, 2024 is “cheesy.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

Well things got a little cheesy today at the Food bank that I volunteer at on Thursdays.

We had an inspection by the Food Hygiene Inspector from the local authority today.  These things are always a bit nerve wracking and although he initially appeared to be a bit particular he was actually quite pleasant and helpful.

I'm sure the members of the Management Committee who were around this morning were a bit nervous but actually everything went well and we have been given a rating of 5 - which is the highest.  Any premises providing food has to display their Food Hygiene rating certificate so it is a big deal, even though we are not charging for any of the food or drinks that are provided.

One of the things that was brought to our attention though was that anything we hand out that is not in its original wrapping has to be labelled listing any allergens included in the product.

We often get big blocks of cheese and these are cut into smaller portions and wrapped in clingfilm before being given out to the users of the food bank.  So now we will have to put labels on them stating that they include milk as an allergen.

(This will also apply to any cakes we slice into individual portions etc.)

Just something else to remember to do but it is actually important - and due to a fairly recent law introduced here in the UK in 2021 known as Natasha's Law.

In 2016 Natasha Ednan-Laperouse bought a packaged baguette from Pret-A-Manger at Heathrow Airport, shortly before she took a flight. The packaging did not state sesame seeds were an ingredient but they had been baked into the baguette and were not visible to the naked eye. Natasha, allergic to sesame seeds, suffered an anaphylactic reaction while on the plane and died later the same day. She was 15.

Her parents successfully campaigned to have the law changed hence the law being known as Natasha's Law.

I can't imagine how awful it must have been to lose their daughter in that way but hopefully their campaigning and the change to the law will help prevent other deaths.