Packing school lunches can be a pain for parents, but at least you gain some peace of mind about what your kids are eating. It’s a great way to help children maintain healthy, balanced diets — and save money, too.
But if parents don’t take certain precautions, even the most well-meaning moms and dads could make their children sick.
A survey published last year by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that more than 90 percent of sack lunches were kept at unsafe temperatures, exposing children to foodborne illnesses. Even lunches that included ice packs reached unsafe temperatures if too few were included or if too much time passed before lunchtime.
In the study, sack lunches of more than 700 preschoolers were measured 1.5 hours before the food was served. About 45 percent of the 700 lunches tested had at least one ice pack. But despite parents’ best efforts, more than 90 percent of the lunches were at dangerously warm temperatures. Of the 1,631 perishable food items in the lunches, only 22 items were found to be in an acceptable temperature range.
For parents, this study should serve as a wake-up call. Children are at particular risk for foodborne illnesses. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says compared with adults, children younger than 4 years have quadruple the number of bacterial infection incidents transmitted through food.
Symptoms of foodborne illness are unpleasant and debilitating. Severe cases, especially in young children whose immune systems are not fully developed, can lead to serious medical issues such as kidney problems, malnutrition, and even death, the Center noted.
Control of the temperature of food is an important way to prevent bacteria from growing and making kids sick. Some tips for parents:
• Start with an insulated lunch bag or box. Soft, insulated lunch bags or boxes are the best choice. Avoid paper lunch bags.
• Include small, frozen gel packs. Have extras in the freezer in case you forgot to put yesterday’s in the icebox to refreeze.
• Consider freezing a juice box or water bottle and including it in the lunch. By lunchtime it will melt, providing a cool refreshing drink.
• Be aware that leftovers, cold cuts, tuna salads, chicken salads, and egg salads all must be kept cold to avoid the growth of bacteria that can make kids sick. Even store-bought, packaged lunch combos containing lunchmeats, crackers, and cheese need to be kept cold.
• Don’t re-use foil, plastic wrap, or Baggies, even if it seems environmentally friendly to recycle. After a day in a lunch bag, they have become incubators for bacteria. The safest thing to do it to discard them.
• If you have reusable containers, be sure to wash them out thoroughly with soap and hot water.
