Safe School Lunches

It's that time again- back to school! This time of year generally equates to new school supplies, new teachers, and oh yes... packing a daily lunch! However, before you begin packing this year, please be aware of  a new study which shows most bag lunches packed at home are not cold enough by the time kids sit down to eat lunch. In fact, the research found more than 90 percent of sack lunches were kept at unsafe temperatures, posing a health risk to children.

The study in the Journal of Pediatrics looked at temperatures of more than 700 school lunches containing at least one perishable food item. The temperature of the food was measured by a temperature gun about an hour and a half before the school lunches were served. Researchers found less than two percent of lunches with perishable food items were found to be in a safe temperature zone and more than 90 percent were kept at unsafe temperatures.

Nutritional scientists say the best storage temperature is below 40 degrees for cold foods and above 140 degrees for hot foods. Temperatures in between are considered in the danger zone with the potential for harmful bacteria growth and food-borne illness.

Forty five percent (45%) of the lunches had at least one ice pack while thirty nine percent (39%) had none at all.  So what should we learn from this?  Mainly - we parents have to keep the lunch boxes in the right temperature zone.  How to do this?  Here are a few ideas!

1. Add an extra ice pack- if filling lunch with cold foods. 
2. Choose an insulated lunch box to take to school.
3. Freeze the drink which is going into the lunch (water bottle, juice box) and add to the lunch box - it will serve as another ice pack!
4. If sending a hot food such as soup, begin by filling the thermos with boiling water.  Let the thermos sit a few minutes to ensure warmth.  Pour out the boiling water and fill with soup.
5. Always make sure hands are washed before eating or preparing any meal.   

I hope these ideas are helpful to you!  For more information contact me at sfclawson@ag.tamu.edu

The full study, "Temperature of Foods Sent by Parents of Preschool-aged Children," can be read online at http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/08/04/peds.2010-2885.abstractt.