Pack Safe Lunches

Auburn, April 11, 2003---Whether it’s lunch for school, work or day camp, packing a lunch that’s safe to eat when hunger strikes means following a few safety rules, says Dr. Jean Weese, food science specialist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

            Keep everything clean, Weese says.  This means clean hands, utensils, preparation surfaces and lunch boxes.  Use hot, soapy water to get rid of bacteria.  Thoroughly rinse fruits and vegetables and paper-towel dry them before packing.

            Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.  Pack hot foods in an insulated thermos or bag so they stay hot until lunchtime.  Prewarm the thermos by filling it with boiling water. Let it stand for a few minutes, then empty out the water and put in the food.

            Cold foods should go directly from the refrigerator or freezer into the lunch box, along with a cold pack.  Single-size juice packs can double as a cold pack if left in the freezer overnight. The juice will thaw by lunchtime, but will still be cold.

To keep sandwiches and other bread products dry, place them in an air- and watertight plastic bag. Squeeze air out of the bag before sealing it.

            Don’t let the packed lunch sit near a heat source (radiator or sunny window). Refrigerate it, if possible. Once lunchtime is over, uneaten food should be thrown away.

Source:  Dr. Jean Weese, Food Science Specialist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, (334) 844-3269

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