Packed Lunches and Food Safety

Bringing your lunch to work, or preparing lunches for your children to take to school, means food can go unrefrigerated for extended periods of time.

This gives bacteria a chance to grow and multiply, thus increasing the risk of food poisoning.

Keep Lunches Cold

The very nature of packed lunches makes it nearly impossible to keep food properly refrigerated (storing it at a temperatures of 5°C or colder), particularly while driving to work or taking the bus to school. Even if your school or workplace offers a refrigerator for storing lunches, you're still going to have to plan carefully to make sure the food you pack for lunch doesn't end up causing food poisoning.

Insulated Lunch Bags

Soft, insulated lunch bags or boxes are the best choice for keeping lunches cold. Metal or plastic lunch boxes without insulation don't do as good a job. But, remember that insulated lunch bags and lunch boxes should be washed and disinfected regularly to stop any risk of contamination to the food.

Frozen Ice Packs

No matter what sort of lunch bag or box you use, you should definitely place some kind of ice pack in it to keep the food inside cold. You can also freeze a juice box or small bottled water and pack it in your bag or lunch box. Not only will this help keep your lunch cold, but by lunchtime your frozen drink will have melted, giving you a cold, refreshing juice or water to enjoy with your lunch.

Protect Perishable Foods

Perishable foods include cooked meats, as well as tuna, chicken, cheese, egg, yoghurts and milk, whether it is homemade or shop bought. All of these foods can support the growth of food poisoning bacteria, and they must be kept refrigerated.

When in Doubt, Throw it Out

Do not economize by reusing sandwich bags, foil and cling film etc. Unfortunately, once these items have been used, they can contaminate other food and cause food borne illness. The safest thing to do is to discard them.

Don't pack more for lunch than can be eaten at lunchtime. Leftovers that are stored in the lunch box for the rest of the day and then brought home may not be safe to eat.

If you do have leftovers do not refrigerate them, "When in doubt, throw it out."

Leah Macey BSc (Hons), PGCE

01963 371665 www.camelot-training.co.uk

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