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Original poster

Has anyone been in a restaurant/cafe that has refused to heat up your baby's food in the microwave due to "health and safety law"?

54 replies

BelleEpoque · 22/10/2008 19:24

Hi,

I was in La Tasca in Canary Wharf today, and they refused to heat up my DD's baby food, that was homemade and in a tupperware. They said it was because of Health and Safety law. I asked them which law as that seemed a bit stupid to me. How can heating up some food in a sealed container in the microwave pose a risk to anyone?

I've been to lots of places that are more than happy to heat up the food for you if you are eating there. Needless to say, we went somewhere else, to The Fine Line for lunch where they were absolutely lovely and helpful and heated up the food for us np.

Has anyone else come across this? Does anyone know if there is an actual health and safety law that says "don't heat up baby food that your customers bring in"?It just seems completely stupid and jobsworth to me.

OP posts:
Overmydeadbody · 22/10/2008 19:26

No it's not a health and safety law.

What they actually mean is that it is in their health and safety policy. Every establishment has to draw up their own H&S policy which is then approved by environmental health and they then stick to it.

Some restaurants heat up babyfood, some don't. It's up to them.

nickytwoooohtimes · 22/10/2008 19:27

Yes, I have been in several places where they have declined to heat ds's food or even bottle when he was wee.
No idea of th elegislation about it though. And yes, I was given the same line as you. Tbh, I think it's probably to do with not wanting to be sued of the food is too hot, etc.

expatinscotland · 22/10/2008 19:29

'How can heating up some food in a sealed container in the microwave pose a risk to anyone?'

Because the microwave doesn't heat evenly and they'd have to stir up the food because if you didn't and the baby's mouth was scaled you could sue them.

Not stupid or jobsworth to me at all, the restaurant's insurance may forbid it.

Overmydeadbody · 22/10/2008 19:29

It may seem stupid and 'jobsworth' to you, but they are a business, at the end of the day, not a public service provider. They are covering their backs and protecting themselves from the litigating public. They have every right to do so.

mazzystartled · 22/10/2008 19:29

sorry but i think they were prob right not to
the risk is re the food being too hot, or unevenly hot. and also hyfiene standards in your kitchen not as high as theirs
they cd have offered you some hot water in a bowl maybe

tbh my kids always had their food at room temp
saves faff and its cold by the time they eat it anyway

FeelingLucky · 22/10/2008 19:30

Yes,I've noticed that the cafe in John lewis refuse to heat your own baby food in microwave, but they will give you a free jar of Hipp Organic baby food and heat that up for you instead

littlelamb · 22/10/2008 19:30

Yes, I have worked in restaurants that will not do it. It is to cover themselves in case they make it too hot In one place I worked we were not even allowed to heat up baby food or milk in hot water in case someone got burned. Big pain in the bum, but I can understand why they wouldn't do it

Overmydeadbody · 22/10/2008 19:30

and restaurant microwaves are big powerful things, noting like home versions.

flowerybeanbag · 22/10/2008 19:31

You can't blame the restaurant, they are just protecting themselves.

Neeerly3 · 22/10/2008 19:31

same happened to me, most restaurants have industrial microwaves (1000+ watt) so completely NUKE food, and it will come out a lot hotter than you are used to if you ask them to say heat it for 1 minute.

They are covering their backs, not deliberately making your life hard - u would be very upset if your baby was burned.

FAQ · 22/10/2008 19:32

been in lots of places similar - but what does amuse me is that there seems to be no hard and fast rules about it. DS3 still milk several times a day.

I have had

  1. We can only warm it up in the microwave
  2. We can only put it in hot water behind the counter
  3. We can only give you a jug of hot water

All of the reasons quoting H&S as the reason why they couldn't do the others

S1ur · 22/10/2008 19:33

Yes I have encountered this a fair bit, pretty standard ime.

agree with expat, mazzy and omdb

FAQ · 22/10/2008 19:34

(oh and in case you're going to say "just give it to him cold/room temp" - well I put it to you that you can come and do it for me.........maybe it's because he was BF to start with - so it was nice and warm when it came out of "me" - but despite my best efforts to decrease the temp in tiny steps he's not having it )

Overmydeadbody · 22/10/2008 19:34

FAQ it all depends on their own personal Health and Safety Policy. Someone's done a risk assesment on all three and decided which one they will allow. Business employees ahve to stick to what is outlined in the health and safety policy.

FAQ · 22/10/2008 19:38

oh yes I know they have to stick to the H&S policy - just makes me giggle when I go in and have to ask "in which manner will you be warming my DS's milk.........as I would like to know how much longer I have to try and shut him up for"

Actually the funniest I've had with regards to heating it was today - when I eventually got to ask dopey teenage(?) bloke says "how long for".......so I asked him what sort of wattage it was (small park cafe - so ime often just has a normal microwave)

He looked at me blankly and said "ermm sorry I don't know what you mean".....

I decided it wasn't worth persuing so assumed it was a mega superdooper one and asked for about 30 seconds less than I'd do at home......was just hot enough (thankfully)

mazzystartled · 22/10/2008 19:39

it must be a pain faq
i am not without sympathy
i think the only solution is self sufficiency, flask of hot water

food's different though
mine were largely blw'd in any case

tassisssss · 22/10/2008 19:46

this is why some lovely cafes like ikea and our local dobbies have wee microwaves so you can do it yourself.

top tip is to get them to eat it cold!

InTheseShoes · 22/10/2008 20:18

In John Lewis' they told me that the reason they don;t do home made was because there are unscrupulous people who will then shove something in the food (a dead spider? glass? I dunno) and then try to sue. If it is out of a jar then they know they can't be blamed - it's about the food going out of sight.

With DS2, I heated things up to a very hot temp and then wrapped the pot in foil (shiny side in, as advised by geeky DH!) and by the time he ate it it had reduced to a suitable level - if not, just cooled it as would usually.

You just feel glad when they are on sandwiches/what the restaurant do. An argument for BLW, I guess!

FiveGoMadInDorset · 22/10/2008 20:20

Yes, however have also been to places that provide a normal as opposed to a catering microwave so that you can do it yourself.

newgirl · 22/10/2008 20:21

yes lots of times

i gave up and took sandwiches after a while! hot food for at home instead

Aero · 22/10/2008 20:29

Been going on for years and used to really annoy me as mine would never eat cold food either. Ds2 (now 4) still gags at food which isn't hot enough!

I understand why they do it, but always hated the inconvenience. Take your own flask of hot water and use that to heat things up a bit.

Sooooo glad mine are all past that now!

ScottishMummy · 22/10/2008 20:32

Yes,but hey your baby your responsibility to heat up food.people are litigious they dont want the hassle

microwave hot spots can burn.they dont want sued

like you i had little tubs i used to superheat and let it cool down over time. alternatively pots of food in jug of hot water

Salleroo · 22/10/2008 20:46

Carluccios wont either, but they will give you a jug of hot water. Fine with me. In today's litigous society I can completely understand their pov

stleger · 22/10/2008 21:02

I saw a mother almost weeping as she argued with the 'assistant' in Burger King once. (Why do I not go to fancy places...)He did not give in. I was quite impressed with his 'broken record technique'.

Original poster
BelleEpoque · 22/10/2008 21:04

"Because the microwave doesn't heat evenly and they'd have to stir up the food because if you didn't and the baby's mouth was scaled you could sue them."

Of course I stir the food to prevent hotspots after heating, and then I let it cool down a bit. I wouldn't burn my baby's mouth by giving her piping hot food. It needs to be heated until it;s piping hot though, and then cooled down. You can't heat it by standing it in hot water as any bacteria needs to be killed when it's home cooked food in tupperware. And I don't think it's nice to give home cooked food cold, I wouldn't like cold shepards pie. It;s fine for jars.

They are not obligated to heat it up that's true, it;s their right to decline, but I just think it's nice customer service to do so. It's really not a risk to anyone, anymore than any other normal everyday activity is. I think common sense should prevail really.

OP posts: