How To Keep School Lunches Safe

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A 1healthy meal is 2well balanced with members of all the food groups. But even a good lunch can go bad if it¡¯s not properly packed.

¡°These children¡¯s lunches aren¡¯t going to be in a refrigerator. They won¡¯t be able to 3pull them out right before they eat.¡±

USDA food safety expert Karen Hunter says two of the most important back to school items you can buy are an 4insulated lunchbox and something to keep your child¡¯s lunch cold. She recommends two cold sources.

¡°One of those can be a re, re-freezable gel pack that you can use every day and a second option would be to 5freeze their juice box or their water bottle and put that in in the morning and that way by the time lunchtime comes around that beverage is ready to drink but it¡¯s also served the purpose of keeping that lunch contents below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.¡±

As you prepare lunches, keep hands and surfaces clean to 6avoid 7cross-contamination. If you pack lunches the night before, leave lunchbox tops open when you put them in the refrigerator to allow the cold air to 8circulate. Then, add gel packs in the morning. And make sure your child doesn¡¯t open the insulated bag before lunch, when items need to stay cold or after lunch to eat things they didn¡¯t finish.

¡°For example if you have a meat sandwich that was cold at lunch time, it probably won¡¯t still be cold and in that safe temperature range by the time after school comes around.¡±