Safer School Lunches

Making School Lunches Safe

Make sure students go off to school with a safe lunch. Here are a few tips for making and keeping the food in those lunches safe:

• It’s safe to prepare the food the night before and store it in the refrigerator. Also freezing sandwiches helps them stay cold. However, in those made with mayonnaise, lettuce and tomatoes the quality suffers.
• Wash your hands well in warm soapy water before preparing a lunch. Be sure the cutting board, utensils and counter top are clean. Wash them with hot soapy water after preparing each item.
• Choose food that’s safe. Remember that cooked meat, poultry, fish, eggs and some cheeses are perishable and must be kept cold.
• Use a well insulated lunch bag. Lunch bags vary in effectiveness. To test how good that insulation is, put a refrigerator thermometer in the lunch bag, along with the usual contents. The temperature in the lunch bag should stay at 4°C/40°F or below. If the temperature rises above 4°C/40°F for more than two hours the food should be thrown out.
• Pack a cold source like an ice pack or frozen juice box to keep cold food cold. And, chill cold food thoroughly before packing.
• Pour hot foods like soup into a preheated insulated bottle. Fill the bottle with boiling water and let stand a few minutes; empty and then put in the piping hot food. When eaten the food should still be hot.
• Be sure before your child is ready to open up the lunch, hands are washed well in warm soapy water.
• Leftovers should be discarded, not brought home.
• Discard all used food packaging, plastic and paper bags. They should not be reused because they could contaminate other food.