Our Thoughts on Safety

Totchop has been thoughtfully designed with your and your child’s safety in mind.  However, adults must always ensure that food is cut into appropriate sizes and shapes when feeding young children.

Totchop's measuring aides do not prevent choking by any means - every child and every food type is different.  The board's measuring aides serve as tools you can utilize to meet the recommendations defined by experts.  

minced = 1/8 inch

diced = 3/8 inch

chopped = 1/2 inch

USDA Guidance

Infants should have enough teeth and the muscular developmental ability needed to chew and swallow the foods being served. Remember, not all infants of the same age will be at the same developmental level. Infants with special health care needs may be at great risk for choking.

  • Remove all bones from poultry and meat, especially from fish, before cooking.
  • Cook food until it is soft enough to easily mash with a fork.
  • Grind up or puree chicken and other tough foods.
  • Mash or puree vegetables, fruits, and other foods until they are smooth.
  • Cut soft foods into small pieces (ideally cubes of food not larger than a half inch) or thin slices that can easily be chewed.
  • Cut cylindrical foods such as hot dogs or string cheese into short, thin strips rather than round pieces that could become stuck in the airway.
  • Cut small spherical foods such as grapes, cherry tomatoes, and grape tomatoes lengthwise and then cut them again into smaller pieces.
  • Remove seeds and hard pits from fruit and then cut the fruit into small pieces.
  • Grate or thinly slice cheeses.
  • Cook and finely grind or mash whole-grain kernels of wheat, barley, and other grains.
  • Spread peanut butter, nut butter, or seed butter thinly on crackers. Or mix them with applesauce and cinnamon and spread thinly on bread. Use only creamy, not chunky, peanut, nut, and seed butters.

Baby-Led Weaning

Some parents and caregivers express interest in using a method called baby-led weaning (BLW) to introduce their infants to complementary foods. Although BLW has several proposed advantages, there is concern that BLW may increase the risk of food-related choking. Complementary feeding usually begins with pureed foods being spoon-fed to the infant by a parent or caregiver. In BLW, infants feed themselves all their foods, in the form of graspable pieces. Studies suggest that while gagging continues to be a greater possibility with BLW than with regular spoon-feeding, if the BLW method is followed carefully, choking is no more of a hazard than it is for spoon-fed infants.

Expert Advice on Baby-Led Weaning

If you're interested in Baby-Led Weaning (BLW), we encourage parents to explore trusted resources like:

Each of these experts emphasizes:

  • Offering soft, strip-shaped foods for early feeders
  • Avoiding small pieces until after 9–10 months
  • Understanding the difference between gagging (normal) and choking (emergency)
  • Always supervising your child during meals and keeping them seated upright

 

Safety Always

  • The Parent Set knife is sharp. Always keep it out of reach of children and store it safely.
  • The Finger-Safe Set is not a toy. Always supervise children using it.
  • Babies should never be able to reach sharp tools (feet included) when held in your arms while prepping.

 

Totchop is here to make safe feeding easier, faster, and more fun. From preparing early finger foods to empowering older kids in the kitchen, our tools grow with your family. If you ever have questions, reach out to support@totchop.com.  We’re always here to help.