Q&A: Keep Their School Lunches Cool

Keeping your child's lunch safe from foodborne illness is easier than you may think. All you need is good hygiene habits and planning. About 76 million cases of foodborne illness are reported in the United States each year with 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. Young children are particularly vulnerable. So Cindy Moore, R.D., director of nutrition therapy at the Cleveland Clinic and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, gives pointers on how you can protect your child.

What are the issues with keeping a child's lunch safe?

Cindy Moore: Most parents prepare their child's lunch the night before. So parents need to keep food from developing bacteria that may cause their child to get sick. And they need to educate their children on how to keep themselves safe.

What are some simple ways to keep food safe as I prepare it?

Moore: Remember to wash your hands, have a clean work surface and clean your utensils to avoid cross-contamination.

Because lunches are often prepared many hours before the child is going to be eating it, bacteria has a lot of time to multiply. It's not the same as making a sandwich for lunch and sitting down and eating it right away, even if you do cross-contaminate, because the bacteria doesn't have a chance to multiply.

You want to refrigerate it promptly. Any lunch meat or dairy product should be kept cold.

How cold should the food be kept?

Moore: Make sure the fridge is 40 degrees F. Get a thermometer and keep it in the fridge.

Once the child gets to school, how do I keep food safe?

Moore: Many schools don't have refrigeration available to keep lunches from home cold. The time the child leaves the house until lunchtime usually exceeds two hours, the minimum that food should be left at room temperature.

You may want to include an ice pack in your child's lunch box. It fits real nicely in there. If your child keeps forgetting it or accidentally throws it away, include a frozen box of juice, which works like an ice pack. But parents really need to test the frozen juice theory before actually doing it.

Another thing you can try is freezing the sandwich overnight if it doesn't have vegetables on it. If it's just bread and meat or tuna, you can freeze it and it will thaw out by lunchtime. But again, that's trial and error.

With fruits and vegetables, you don't have to worry. They'll be fine without refrigeration. If you do freeze them, they won't be as crisp because freezing changes the texture.

Does that two-hour window include all perishable goods?

Moore: Yes, it includes any kind of fish, meat, poultry and dairy product.

Should I make the lunch in the morning or the evening before?

Moore: In some ways, there is an advantage to preparing it at night. Let's say Mom decides to make tuna. When the tuna is in that can, it is safely stored at room temperature because it is sealed.

But once it's out of the can, bacteria can grow. If you are just making it that morning, it is closer to room temperature when your child leaves. It doesn't have that chance to chill overnight. Bacteria like things at a comfortable temperature like we do. When they reach room temperature is when they flourish.

What kind of bacteria are we talking about?

Moore: Salmonella, staphylococcus and E.coli. These can all hurt your child.

What about hot foods? Are there any special precautions you should take with soup or chili, for instance?

Moore: The goal is to keep hot foods hot enough to limit the growth of bacteria. Using a well-sealed thermos works well. Keep it sealed until lunchtime.

And what is the best way to clean a lunch box and thermos?

Moore: Hot soapy water is effective in cleaning a lunch box. You can also use a mild bleach solution.

What about lunches that kids get from school?

Moore: One would think that if you are buying a school lunch that its handlers are following safe food practices. And they usually are and usually get frequent trainings on how to keep food safe. But you still need to be careful.

If milk is on the a la carte line but in a chilled display, then it's fine. But if it's warm, you probably would not want to drink that just in case there are some bacteria that have started growing. Be sure to educate your child to avoid foods that are questionable.

If it is something that is normally served hot and it's at room temperature, the child would want to ask for a serving that was hot or make another selection. They may need to be just as attentive as their parents are.

What if my child can't eat it all at once and wants to save some for later?

Moore: Some foods cannot be stored safely in a locker or backpack. You have to educate your child on what is safe to keep. If the child cannot eat an entire lunch, then explain what perishables should be eaten first.

Sources:

The Cleveland Clinic

American Dietetic Association

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.