Back to School: 4 Ways to Pack a Safe Lunch for Your Child

It’s the beginning of August and it won’t be long until the wheels on the bus go round and round. That means that millions of parents across the country will begin to pack their children’s lunches. Whether it’s a shiny new Paw Patrol carrier, a character from Frozen, or a brown paper bag doesn’t matter. What is important is the safety of the food inside.

There are approximately 48 million foodborne illnesses in this country every year; that’s 1 in 6 Americans, add to that 128,000 serious cases that require hospitalization and 5,000 deaths. Those little darlings carrying those shiny new lunch boxes are among the most susceptible. It is believed that a large percentage of these illnesses are caused at home. Foodborne illnesses are 100% preventable. It is your responsibility to protect our youth and make certain their food stays safe until it’s consumed.

Many of these illnesses occur because someone didn’t wash their hands properly, didn’t cook the food thoroughly, contaminated equipment was used, products were purchased from unsafe sources or food wasn’t held at the proper temperature.

I recently read an article that stated the following:

In a recent study, lunches of 235 children were checked with at least one perishable food item 90 minutes prior to lunch. The results were astounding:

· 39% of lunches had no ice packs

· 45.1% of lunches had at least one ice pack

·  88.2% of lunches were found to be at a hazardous temperature

· 1.6% of perishable items checked were found to be at unsafe temperature.

This means that most children are eating food that is unsafe (at least according to this study).

Do you know what time your child eats lunch? What temperature is your lunch when you consume its contents? So, what’s a person to do? 

Make certain the food is not contaminated when it is initially packed.

· Wash your hands.

· Clean counter tops.

· Clean utensils, dishes, and anything else that’s going to touch food, including the lunch box.

Keep cold food cold.

Cold food needs to be kept at 41°F or lower:

· Use a cold pack.

· Freeze water, juice, and milk

· Keep packed snacks chilled in refrigerator overnight.

· Freeze items such as grapes, carrots, celery, sweet bread, cubed cheese, etc.

Keep hot food hot.

Hot food needs to be held at 135°F or higher:

· Put all hot foods and beverages in a thermos.

· Pour hot water in thermos prior to filling with food contents.

· Separate cold food from hot food.

Keep cold food COLD and hot food HOT. Every kitchen should have a calibrated thermometer.

What not to pack.

Stay away from proteins and carbohydrates, i.e. meats, pasta, potatoes, including chicken salad, potato salad, macaroni salad, egg salad, etc. These items pose a risk in anyone’s packed lunch.

So, wash your hands and pack those lunches with confidence!

Monitor Food Safety While Staying Heart Healthy

PURCHASING

Be selective.

Do not purchase bruised or damaged produce - whether it’s on sale or not!

If purchasing pre-cut produce — such as a sliced cantaloupe or bagged salad greens — choose only those items that are kept cold i.e. refrigerated, packed in ice.

Fresh fruits and vegetables must be bagged separately from meat, poultry and seafood products when packing them to take home. This is a sure way to cause illness. Cross-contamination is bound to happen if these items are bagged together.

STORAGE

Did you know that proper storage could affect quality and safety?

Store fresh fruits and vegetables (like strawberries, lettuce, herbs, and mushrooms) in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 41°F (5°C) or below. There shouldn’t be any mold or unidentifiable objects in your refrigerator. These things are spreading contamination, get rid of them!

All produce that is purchased pre-cut or peeled must be refrigerated to maintain both quality and safety.

SEPARATE

Fruits and vegetables that will be eaten raw must be kept separate from other foods such as raw meat, poultry or seafood — and from kitchen utensils used for those products. If not cross-contamination is likely to occur. Here are a few food safety precautions:

Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils and counter tops with soap and hot water between the preparation of raw meat, poultry and seafood products and the preparation of produce that will not be cooked.

If you use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards, run them through the dishwasher after use.

PREPARATION

When preparing fresh produce, start with clean hands. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water 100°F (38°C) before and after preparation.

Remove any and all damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing and/or eating. Produce that looks spoiled must be discarded.

Wash all produce thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting or cooking. This includes produce grown conventionally or organically at home, or purchased from a grocery store or farmer’s market. Using soap, detergent or commercial produce washes is not recommended.

Whether or  not you plan to peel the produce before consuming, it is still important to wash it first so dirt and bacteria aren’t transferred from the utensil onto the food product. Melons and cucumbers and other firm veggies should be scrubbed with a clean produce brush.

Dry product with a clean paper towel to remove any remaining bacteria that may be present.

Of course eating fruits and vegetables is not the only thing that will help you maintain a healthy heart. A well balanced diet and exercise are part of the plan as well. And, I would be totally remiss if I didn’t mention that while a happy healthy heart is our number one goal - if you are lying on the floor beside the toilet and it’s because your forgot to wash your veggies; your happy healthy heart is going to feel very, very sad. 

We at Food Safety Training Solutions, Inc. wish you a lifetime of love with a healthy heart.

Don't Let Foodborne Illness Crash Your Bash

As a time-honored tradition of summer, there will be no shortage of July 4^th cookouts this weekend. Friends and families will get together to mingle and have a great time. Don’t let foodborne illness crash your party – hot temps can cause bacteria to multiply at an alarming rate. Undetectable by taste, sight or smell, bacteria can thrive on foods left unrefrigerated, causing flu-like symptoms. 

Here are a few guidelines for a safe and healthy outing this weekend:

CLEAN

No chef would cook in a dirty kitchen, so why shouldn’t you start with a clean slate? Wash prep areas with warm, soapy water before any food prep begins, and after any raw foods touch any surface. Have everyone preparing food wash hands with soap under warm water for at least 20 seconds.

SEPARATE

Take extra care to make sure raw meats and poultry from cross-contaminating vegetables and cooked foods. Use different cutting boards and knives to prep meats and veggies - raw meat and juice can contain harmful bacteria.

COOK

No grill master should be without a food thermometer. Proper heating temps can kill foodborne bacteria. Don’t let color fool you – it is not a reliable indicator of doneness. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill can brown quickly and appear done on the outside, but still may not have reached a safe internal temperature. Placing the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat gives an accurate reading of internal temperature. After reaching this temperature, thick cuts of beef, lamb or chicken should rest for three minutes before carving and consuming. The juices will redistribute throughout the meat and it will prevent it from going all over the place.  Place all meats on a clean platter – not on the dish that held raw product. Juices left on the plate from raw meat can contaminate safely cooked food.

Here is a list of safe internal temperatures:

CHILL

A major challenge of any outdoor event is keeping hot food hot and cold food cold. All too often food is left to sit out while guests munch over the course of a few hours. Bacteria thrive between 40°F and 140°F. To keep growth at bay, keep hot food on the grill and cold food in cooler or over ice. Never let perishable food sit out for more than two hours. If temps are higher than 90°F, food should be put away after an hour. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers and discard food that has been out too long.

With a little preparation and care, you can stay safe and prevent illness. The staff at Food Safety Training Solutions wishes you a wonderful 4^th of July weekend!

Food Service Gloves: Good or Bad?

You stop into a deli for lunch, and your sandwich maker rings up your order wearing gloves and goes right back to making sandwiches. You may ask, “Aren’t you required to wash your hands before preparing food?” She answers, “No. I have gloves on.” Many establishments require employees to wear gloves to protect customers, and many workers believe that gloves will keep their hands clean. It does; but now a filthy, bacteria-laden glove is in contact with your food. This is one of many ways food can be contaminated with improper glove use.

Introduced around 20 years ago, food service gloves were intended to reduce the risk of contamination. A study of average food service glove use in 2007 and 2010 found that hand washing is less likely to occur when employees were wearing gloves. If the hands underneath are dirty, the gloves will do little to protect against contamination. Instead, the risk of contamination is higher with the use of gloves, which can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Nothing good is happening in there where it’s warm and sweaty.

Additionally, using food service gloves is very wasteful. If used properly, employees can go through a dozen pairs of disposable gloves in an hour. Not only is the influx of waste bad for the planet, it is also expensive. In the preparation of food, a cook or server can be managing several different foods at once. If they are touching raw meat, they are required to change gloves before moving on to another type of food. If they open a refrigerator, cough, sneeze, or touch any contaminated surface, they need to change their gloves. If employees change their gloves as often as needed, the food will take longer to prepare.

Gloves aren’t all bad news. There are situations where using gloves is important, such as preparing sushi. Handling raw fish requires special care and gloves make it easier to do so. For example, if one customer orders shellfish and the next has a food allergy, gloves make it easier for them to switch materials safely. Although they may provide a false sense of security, gloves may also give customers a perception of cleanliness of your business.

There are many types of gloves available, all with pros and cons. Latex gloves provide a tight fit, more dexterity and can withstand heat, but some people have a severe allergy. These have also been banned in three states. Nitrile gloves are durable and offer dexterity, but contain a toxic chemical known as DEHP. Polyethylene is inexpensive but cannot withstand heat and tear easily. Vinyl gloves are an appropriate alternative to latex, but can begin leaking as soon as employees put them on.

A good awareness of food safety, cross contamination and a basic responsibility to the dining public are good places to start with reducing contamination. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends revising food prep methods as an alternative to requiring food service gloves. Revisions would limit the number of times the worker would need to touch raw meat or other contaminating surfaces.

As a part of the food service industry, restaurateurs have the opportunity to make a positive impact on this issue. Whether you decide to use gloves or not, committing to making your food safe is important. Train your staff the correct way to use gloves and to maintain proper hand hygiene. Have all the necessary equipment needed to make your kitchen safe. Always have an abundant supply of gloves in the food prep area or plenty of soap and towels near your sink.