OUHSC dietitian says special care must be taken to avoid food-borne illness

AUGUST 22, 2011 -- Should parents sack the bagged lunches?

New research shows that food sent from home for school lunches can reach unsafe temperatures if packed improperly.

In a study published in the September issue of the journal Pediatrics, researchers in Texas measured the temperatures of foods in sack lunches of preschool-aged children. They found that more than 98 percent of perishable foods in the children’s lunches were not at a safe temperature, leaving children at risk of stomach aches and food poisoning.

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The findings are not surprising to dieticians at the University of Oklahoma College of Allied Health.

“Bacteria multiply rapidly in the danger zone -- the temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees. It is especially harmful for food temperatures to reach and remain in the 70 to 140 degree range for more than two hours” said Patti Landers, Ph.D., a registered dietitian and professor of Nutritional Sciences in the OU College of Allied Health. “Perishable food transported without an ice source won't stay safe long.”

Landers suggests that parents pack food that isn’t dependent on being kept cold, like fresh fruit and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Other foods that don’t need to stay cold include chips, crackers, nuts, dried fruits and unopened cans of meat and fish.

If you do send perishable food, Landers recommends packing it in a soft, insulated lunch bag along with several ice packs or frozen gel packs.  She said a handy alternative to the purchased ice packs is to freeze a juice box or small bottled water to pack in the bag as your cooling source.

When making sandwiches with cold cuts, tuna, chicken or egg salads, she recommends making the sandwiches the night before and then freezing them overnight and packing them in the morning as recommended above.

Prepackaged combos that contain luncheon meats along with crackers, cheese, and condiments must also be kept cold.

Landers warns paper bags as well as metal and plastic lunch boxes do not do a good job of providing insulation for foods that should be kept out of the food safety danger zone.

If you are packing hot foods, she recommends using a nontoxic insulated thermos. These work best if they are preheated.  So fill the thermos with boiling water and let it stand a few minutes before emptying it and putting in the hot food.

Tell your child to throw away all the uneaten food before leaving the cafeteria. Emphasize that it is not safe to save it for later. Wash the insulated lunch bag and all containers with hot, soapy water before using it again.

Landers said parents should remember that most schools participate in the National School Lunch Program. That means the lunch the school serves your child must meet strict guidelines for safety and nutrition.

“It is usually less expensive than packing a lunch at home, too,” Landers said. “From a food safety and nutrition standpoint, most students are better off eating at school.”

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In Attendance

Patti Landers, PhD
Professor of Nutritional Sciences
OU College of Allied Health

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