Several Jewish nurseries have made changes to their lunch menu after thousands backed a campaign following the death of toddler Sadie Salt earlier this month.
The Change.org petition called for a ban on sausages and grapes across all nursery settings to reduce a possible choking risk.
It was launched after the death of two-year-old Sadie, who was taken to hospital following an incident at a nursery in Radlett, and gathered close to 10,000 signatures.
Those behind the petition say they are friends of the Salt family and that Sadie choked on a piece of sausage while having lunch at nursery.
Clore Shalom School in Shenley stopped serving sausages last Monday.
The primary’s kitchen prepares the same food for all age groups, so the ban affects children from nursery to year 6, the deputy head Hannah Martin confirmed this week.
“The heartbreaking death of Sadie hit many in our school community very hard, especially with the local connection to the family, who we send our deepest condolences to,” she said.
“The welfare of the children in our care and the peace of mind of their parents who drop them off each day, has always been a high priority for us. As such we took the decision on Monday to remove sausages from our menu.”
Parents, she said, have always been advised that “if they send their children in with grapes, they should be pre-cut in suitable sizes.”
The school employs more qualified paediatric first-aiders than legally required, she added.
Meanwhile, Georgina Lesser, who heads Gilah Nursery in Borehamwood, confirmed grapes and popcorn were taken off the menu. The nursery does not serve sausages.
Staff were reminded how to cut bananas and received first aid refresher training. Parents at the nursery are set to receive first aid training virtually, she said.
Sinai Primary in Kenton, which also has a nursery, told parents last week that it would no longer serve sausages and hotdogs across all year group. It also announced a ban on all snacks on the school buses and coach.
The school urged parents to cut up all fruit and vegetables into small lengthways pieces and booked a refresher training session on choking and CPR for several members of staff.
