Beware of burns, choking, and allergies, not just food poisoning.

One of the joys of summer festivals is the street food.
When it comes to street food, there is no uniform rule that says, "you can eat everything once you reach a certain age."
Determine based on your child's development, such as whether they are used to eating it, can chew and swallow safely, and can sit and eat calmly.
At food stalls, it is important to be cautious not only of food poisoning, but also of burns from hot food, choking, and food allergies.

🦠 Tips to prevent food poisoning

At food stalls, food may be left outdoors or it may have been sitting for a while after being cooked.
For young children, choose items that are thoroughly heated to the center and freshly prepared.
After purchase, do not carry it around for a long time and eat it as soon as possible.
Avoid raw foods, undercooked meats, eggs, and seafood, and foods that appear to have been left out for a long time.
Before eating, please wash your hands with soap and running water if possible.

🔥 Beware of burns from hot food

Takoyaki, yakisoba, frankfurters, and fried foods may look like a safe temperature on the outside, but the inside can be extremely hot.
Before serving, cut it into small pieces, open it up to let the steam escape, and let it cool completely.
Please have an adult check the temperature before handing it over.
Also, avoid letting children carry containers filled with hot liquids or oil on their own.

⚠️ Tips for Preventing Choking

Walking or running while eating can put you at risk of choking.
For foods on skewers, remove them from the skewers, cut them into small pieces, and have your child sit in a safe place to eat them.
Please have an adult supervise while eating.
Skewers also pose a risk of injuring the mouth or throat if they fall over.

🍇 Foods to be especially careful with

Because children's airways are narrow, even food that poses no problem for adults can get stuck in their throats.
In particular, you should be careful with round, hard, or very springy objects.
Candied grapes
Round Dango
hard candy
Nuts
Popcorn
Konjac
Frankfurters cut into rounds
Whole grapes and cherry tomatoes
Quail Eggs
餅
Marshmallow
Do not cut the sausages into rounds; instead, cut them lengthwise and then into bite-sized pieces. Beans and nuts can enter the windpipe even when crushed into small pieces, so do not give them to children 5 years old or younger.

🥣 Be aware of food allergies as well

At food stalls, the food in question may be used even if it isn’t listed on the menu. Since cross-contamination can occur through shared cooking surfaces, oil, tongs, and other equipment, be sure to check whether ingredients and cooking utensils are being shared.
If you are unsure, do not eat it, and remember to bring any prescription medication or epinephrine auto-injector if you have them.

🆕 Don't try new foods at food stalls

When eating a new food for the first time, it is important to try it when you are feeling well and in an environment where you can check the ingredients and the amount you eat.
At food stalls, it can be difficult to know what ingredients are used and in what quantities, and even if symptoms appear, it may not be possible to seek immediate assistance amid the crowds.
Avoid trying new foods at street food stalls.

✅ Check before feeding

Is this something you usually eat?
Is it cooked all the way through?
Has it been left for a long time?
Isn't it too hot?
Isn't it a food that's round, hard, and very springy?
Did you cut them into small pieces and remove them from the skewers?
座って落ち着いて食べられますか？
食べている間、大人が見守れますか？
アレルギーの原材料や調理器具の共用を確認しましたか？

🍧 屋台ごはんを楽しむポイント

子どもの屋台ごはんは、年齢だけでなく、食べ慣れやかむ力に合わせて選びましょう。
できたてを選び、熱さや大きさを確認し、座って大人が見守ってください。
アレルギーの原材料や調理方法が分からないもの、初めての食べ物は避けましょう。
少しの工夫で、夏祭りをより安心して楽しめます🏮

For more information, please refer to the Akita Medical Broadcast:
☀️ Heatstroke prevention at summer festivals
Even at night, if the temperature and humidity are high, you can get heatstroke.
We will introduce clothing, hydration, how to take breaks, and guidelines for seeing a doctor.

👧Lost child prevention measures for infants and toddlers: Preparation before departure and what to do if you get separatedWarning
In a crowd, you can get separated if you take your eyes off each other even for a moment.
It summarizes things to prepare before departure and what to do if you get lost.

References

消費者庁．食品による子どもの窒息・誤嚥事故に注意．
消費者庁．こどもを事故から守る！事故防止ハンドブック．
消費者庁．豆やナッツ類は、5歳以下の子どもには食べさせないでください．
厚生労働省．家庭でできる食中毒予防の6つのポイント．
厚生労働省．お肉はよく加熱して食べよう．
消費者庁．外食・中食における食物アレルギーに関する情報提供．
食物アレルギー研究会．食物アレルギーの診療の手引き2023．
食物アレルギー研究会．食物アレルギーの栄養食事指導の手引き2022．
日本小児科学会．Injury Alert：加熱した飲食物による喉頭熱傷．
American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention. Prevention of choking among children. Pediatrics. 2010;125(3):601-607.
Lumsden AJ, Cooper JG. The choking hazard of grapes: a plea for awareness. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 2017;102(5):473-474.
Lorenzoni G, Hochdorn A, Beltrame Vriz G, et al. Regulatory and educational initiatives to prevent food choking injuries in children. Frontiers in Public Health. 2022.
Dissanaike S, Boshart K, Coleman A, et al. Cooking-related pediatric burns: risk factors and the role of differential cooling rates among commonly implicated substances. Journal of Burn Care & Research. 2009;30(4):593-598.
Andrade AA, Paiva AD, Machado ABF. Microbiology of street food: understanding risks to improve safety. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 2023.
Chard AN, Hill V. Food and Water Precautions for Travelers. In: CDC Yellow Book 2026. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2025.
Iglesia EGA, Kwan M, Virkud YV, Iweala OI. Management of food allergies and food-related anaphylaxis. JAMA. 2024.
Burks AW, Jones SM, Boyce JA, et al. NIAID-sponsored guidelines for managing food allergy: applications in the pediatric population. Pediatrics. 2011;128(5):955-965.