In January 2010, the NSW Food Authority carried out a survey involving Primary aged school children and their lunch boxes.
The survey examined the lunches of 766 Sydney primary school students, and revealed that more than 70% of students could be at a higher risk of food poisoning for failing to keep their lunches cool.
It is essential lunches are kept cool for school – sandwiches with meat or chicken can sit for up to five hours before kids eat them, so they can have much more bacteria if food is stored at room temperature.
On a very hot day that can be a recipe for food poisoning – the warm summer temperatures provide an ideal environment for bacteria to multiply.
Preventing bacteria is simple – just pack a frozen drink with your child’s lunch each day, or include an ice pack in their lunch box.
But disturbingly, the survey revealed that only 29% of lunches were being stored safely, meaning that around 70% of students’ sandwiches are up to 12 degrees warmer than they could be if their lunch box was packed with a frozen drink.
While more than 73% of students have sandwiches for lunch, it’s becoming more popular for children to taken in leftover food from the night before, and parents need to be especially mindful that leftover food is still fresh and kept cool.
Other items found in the lunchboxes surveyed include pizza, pasta, noodles, pies, sausage rolls, cooked chicken and even sushi, and while the majority of lunchboxes are kept inside the classroom, alarmingly the survey also revealed there were a handful of students which kept their lunch outside in the sun. This is really not acceptable, but in my Primary Schools a peg outside the classroom is the only space available for backpacks containing their lunch boxes.
The Food Authority’s tips for safe school lunches include:
• Cold foods should stay cold, so invest in an ice block and insulated lunch box to keep foods cold until lunchtime.
• Freeze water bottles or drinks overnight and place them in the lunch pack. The water or drinks will thaw by lunchtime, but will still be cold and will help keep the rest of the lunch cold.
• Some food is safe without a cold source this includes whole fruits, vegetables, hard cheeses, meat and fish in cans, bread, crackers, pickles and some spreads.
• Ask children to keep packed lunches out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources. A cool, dark place like a locker is better.
• If lunches are made the night before, keep them in the refrigerator overnight.
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