• Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Your neighborhood. Your News.

newsMilwaukee NNSMilwaukee NNSSearch
Subscribe to NNS today!
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    • Arts and Recreation
    • Community
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Health and Wellness
    • Housing
    • Public Safety
    • NNS Spotlight
    • Special Report
  • Posts From Community
    • Submit a Story
  • Community Voices
  • How To
  • Multimedia
    • NNS Local Video
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect
    • NNS WGLB 1560 Radio
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • About
    • Staff
    • Partners
    • News 414
    • The neighborhoods we cover
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Diederich College of Communication, Marquette University

You are here: Home / "How To" articles / How to keep school lunches safe

How to keep school lunches safe

September 21, 2016 by Barbara Ingham, UW-Extension Leave a Comment

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Keep items separate from one another to avoid cross contamination, and never reuse packaging. One way to do this is to use packaged foods such as granola bars, juice boxes and chips. (Photo by Allison Steines)

Keep items separate from one another to avoid cross contamination, and never reuse packaging. One way to do this is to use packaged foods such as granola bars, juice boxes and chips. (Photo by Allison Steines)

If you’re packing lunch for your children, you’ll want to know how to make sure they are safe to eat. Follow these four easy steps:

Wash your hands and areas used to prepare food.

  • Clean your hands with warm, soapy water before you prepare food.
  • Make sure countertops and utensils are clean before you start, and wash with hot, soapy water at the end of the process.
  • Use clean bags and packaging.
  • Talk to school administrators to be sure children have enough time at school to wash their hands before and after eating.

Keep items separate from each other.

  • Use one cutting board for fresh produce and another for meat and poultry to avoid cross-contamination.
  • Do not reuse packaging because it might contaminate other food and cause illness. After eating lunch, discard all disposable food packaging.Keep lunches cold.
  • Keeping food cold slows the growth of bacteria. Harmful bacterial can multiply rapidly in the “Danger Zone”—temperatures between 40–140 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Prepare cooked food, such as turkey, ham, chicken and vegetable or pasta salads in advance and chill them thoroughly (to 40 degrees or lower).
  • Keep perishable food refrigerated until you’re ready to leave home.
  • Use an insulated, soft-sided bag to keep foods cold and make sure you can clean the bag both inside and out.
  • Add two cold sources, such as a frozen gel pack or frozen juice box, with perishable food inside an insulated lunch bag or box. Pick up a few extra ice packs or cold sources at the store and keep extras in the freezer.
  • Refrigerate prepackaged combos that contain perishable foods such as luncheon meats, cheese and cut fruit.
  • Consider including items that don’t require refrigeration such as whole fruits and vegetables, hard cheese, canned meat and fish, chips, breads, crackers, peanut butter, jelly, mustard and pickles.

Keep hot foods hot.

  • An insulated container should keep food hot—at a temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit or above.
  • If the lunch box your child uses has a thermos, test it out at home to be sure it will keep food hot (above 140 degrees) till lunchtime.

It’s OK to prepare food for a bag lunch the night before, but don’t pack the lunches until you’re ready to leave home. Only pack the amount of perishable food that can be eaten at lunchtime. Discard all leftovers, including packaging that could contaminate other food or cause illness.

To learn more about food safety, contact your local UW-Extension office or www.befoodsafe.org.

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

Filed Under: "How To" articles

Avatar

About Barbara Ingham, UW-Extension

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Top Stories

Advertisement

How To …

How to avoid stimulus check scams

A new round of stimulus checks will likely also bring out a new round of scams. Here’s what to watch out for.

More "How To" articles

Advertisement

Recommended Reading

A Vaccine Reality Check

The Atlantic

UWM study on the state of Black Milwaukee describes the city as ‘the epitome of a 21st century racial regime’

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Videos Show How Federal Officers Escalated Violence in Portland

The New York Times

These mayors want to fight Covid-19 and the recession with one big idea: A guaranteed income

Vox

The World John Lewis Helped Create

The Atlantic

News

  • Arts and Recreation
  • Economic Development
  • Education
  • Health and Wellness
  • Housing
  • Public Safety
  • NNS Spotlight
  • Special Reports
  • Multimedia
    • NNS Videos
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect Radio

Engage with us

  • Posts from Community
  • Community Voices
  • Submit a Story

About NNS

  • Staff
  • Partners
  • News414
  • The neighborhoods we cover
  • Internship opportunities
  • Careers
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS feed

Communities

Contact

mailing address
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Diederich College of Communication
Marquette University
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Johnston Hall 430
Milwaukee, WI 53233

email
info@milwaukeenns.org

phone & fax
PHONE: 414.604.6397 FAX: 414.288.6494

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a project of Diederich College of Communication and Marquette University.
© 2020 Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Terms of use.
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee WI 53233 • info@milwaukeenns.org

Copyright © 2021 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in