University of Wisconsin - Extension

MADISON, Wis.-The lunch you packed for your child to take to school may be healthy when it leaves your kitchen, but how safe is it when the lunch bell rings?

According to a new survey conducted by the American Dietetic Association and the ConAgra Foods Foundation, a majority of kids (83 percent) say they bring their lunch to school at least once or twice a week, while more than half (55 percent) "brownbag it" up to five times a week. But each of these lunches could put your child at risk of foodborne illness if it's not packed or handled correctly. For instance, while many lunches contain perishables such as meat or cheese sandwiches (72 percent), pre-packaged lunch kits (47 percent), string cheese (41 percent) and yogurt (40 percent), most kids' lunches are not packed properly to prevent these foods from spoiling before noon.

"Although parents may have the best intentions when it comes to packing their child's lunch, says Jackie Newgent, registered dietician and national spokesperson for the ADA/Con Agra Foods Home Food Safety...It's in Your Hands program, "our survey results show most parents are unaware of the home food safety hazards that can happen once the lunch is out of their hands and in their child's."

Nearly every child (99 percent) reports that at least three to four hours pass from the time their lunch is packed at home until they eat it at school, while in some cases (12 percent), as many as five to six hours can pass until lunchtime.

However, what many kids (as well as their parents) may not know is that perishable foods should not remain unrefrigerated for longer than two hours -- the point at which harmful bacteria begin to multiply rapidly. In hot weather (90 degrees or above), this window is reduced to one hour. However, more than nine out of 10 kids say they keep their lunches on a classroom shelf or in their locker, backpack, or desk until it's time to eat. In addition, 40 percent of all lunches do not include an ice pack to keep perishable foods properly chilled.

"Since most kids don't have access to a refrigerator at school, including a frozen ice pack is an easy way to help prevent perishable foods from spoiling," says [YOUR NAME, TITLE, COUNTY]. "You can also use a frozen juice box, water bottle or single-serve plastic milk container --it works just as well and does double duty as a cold drink." [YOUR NAME HERE] also recommends using a well-insulated lunch bag or lunch box--instead of a paper or plastic bag--to help protect perishables.

When including a frozen ice pack or beverage isn't possible, choose foods that stay safe when left unrefrigerated. Consider substituting these shelf-stable foods in school lunches and for after school snacks:

• Breads/Grains: single-serving boxes of cereal, trail mix, energy bars, granola bars, cereal bars, bagels and popcorn.

• Fruits and Vegetables: carrot and celery sticks and other cut-up raw vegetables, grapes, single-serve applesauce, whole fruit (apples, peaches, bananas, oranges), dried fruit mix and juice boxes. In addition to washing vegetables and ready-to-eat fruits like apples and peaches, it's also important to wash peel-and-eat fruits such as bananas and oranges to eliminate harmful bacteria that can spread during peeling or cutting.

• Dairy/Dairy Alternatives: fortified soy/rice milk and pudding cups.

• Meat and Other Protein Sources: cans/pouches of tuna or tuna salad, peanut butter (for sandwiches or with celery and apples), nuts and single-serve packages of peanut butter and crackers.

According to the survey, 84 percent of kids say they trade foods with friends some or most of the time during lunch at school. However, while you washed your hands before preparing your child's lunch--and included an ice pack to keep perishable foods safe--who knows if another child's lunch was prepared with the same care? While trading lunch items may be a popular thing to do, it's also a potential health hazard. Remind kids not to trade food since they don't know if other lunches were safely prepared or stored.

The Home Food Safety survey also reveals that while moms are most likely to make lunches for school, a majority of kids also lend a hand: nearly 80 percent say they help out some or most of the time. However, while preparing lunch together is a great idea, parents should remember that even when they're not aware of it, they're modeling behavior.

For instance, more than a quarter of the kids surveyed say that their parents or other adults do not consistently wash their hands with soap and water before making school lunches. Similarly, almost half (46 percent) of kids admit that they don't always wash their hands before making lunch. And nearly three out of five say that they don't regularly wash their hands before eating lunch, which may be particularly risky for those who have a morning recess.

"Washing your hands is one of the most basic steps you can take to help prevent foodborne illness, so it's very important that parents serve as role models for hand-washing behaviors," says [YOUR NAME HERE]. "When parents wash up before eating or preparing food, they're teaching their kids a valuable lesson and setting a precedent for proper home food safety."

Visit the ADA/ConAgra Foods Home Food Safety...It's in Your Hands¿ program web site at www.homefoodsafety.org or call the ADA's Consumer Nutrition Information Line at 800-366-1655, for recorded messages (in English and Spanish) 24 hours a day.

Impulse Research Corporation conducted the Home Food Safety survey in July 2004 for the American Dietetic Association and the ConAgra Foods Foundation through an online survey with a random sample of 1504 boys and girls age 8 through 13 across the country who bring lunch to school.