Is Your Kid's Lunch as Safe as it is Healthy?

Last month, the journal Pediatrics published a study by researchers at the University of Texas that looked at the temperatures of 705 bagged lunches brought by preschoolers to their daycare centres. Out of 1361 perishable food items (meat, dairy, vegetables), only 22 (1.6%) were in the acceptable temperature range!

It’s hard to decide what’s more shocking; that only about half of the parents packed at least one ice pack into their kids’ lunch – one cautious parent packed four! – or that 97% of the perishable items in these lunch bags with ice packs were still in the “danger zone” of between 4-60˚C. (Interestingly, none of the perishable items in the 4-ice pack bag were of a safe temperature.)

Even when the children had access to a refrigerator, 99% of the perishable items measured were of an unsafe temperature. Study authors did note that the refrigerators themselves ranged in temperature from 2-10˚C (the recommended range is 0-4˚C), that the lunches were in room temperature for up to 2 hours before being put into the fridge, and that almost all of the lunches were packed in insulated bags, making them more difficult for the refrigerator to cool.

While these results have sent some parents into a panic, critics of the study say that the researchers did not look at whether children who ate lunch kept at an “unacceptable” temperature were more likely to get sick. However, if you are concerned about keeping your kids’ lunches within the acceptable temperature ranges (< 4˚C for cold items, > 60˚C for hot), here are some tips:

• Pack non-perishable food items, like a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich (if nuts are allowed) or an unopened tin of flavoured tuna with whole grain crackers. For snacks, try whole fruit (apples, oranges, pears), fruit cups, nuts and seeds (if allowed), dry cereal or whole grain crackers.
• If you are packing cold items, use an insulated lunch bag and leave room for an ice pack, making sure that it is in contact with the food that you would like to keep cold.
• Freeze juice and water, which can act as an extra ice pack.
• If your child has access to a refrigerator at school, make sure he/she opens their lunch bag to allow cool air in when they put it in the fridge.
• If you are packing hot items, use an insulated food container – fill it with boiling water and let stand, covered for a few minutes before emptying and replacing with hot food. Liquid-based foods, like soups, stews and chilis work best. Make sure you are filling it to the top.
• Insulated food containers can also be used for cold foods, like salad or yogurt.

Most importantly, food safety is not just about temperature. Practicing safe food handling throughout the process of preparing your child’s lunch, like proper hand hygiene, washing raw vegetables and fruit, and keeping countertops and utensils clean, will further prevent them from contracting food poisoning.