Brown Bag Lunches Can Lead to Food Poisoning
Across America when kids go back to school, many of them will bring their lunches in the quintessential brown paper bag. But the Huffington Post reported on a new study published in the
Journal of Pediatrics that shows sending lunches this way can lead to food-borne illness.
Food safety standards dictate that cold foods should be kept at temperatures under 40 degrees and warm foods should be kept over 140 degrees. If food sits between 40 and 140 degrees for more than two hours it can become contaminated and bacteria can grow. Since most brown bag lunches are not refrigerated, this puts children at risk.
There are some things parents can do to help protect against potential food poisoning. Doubling ice packs in lunch bags help keep food at the optimal temperatures. One may not be enough as 40% of the subjects in the study had an ice pack that did not keep food cool enough. Avoiding packing foods that are not perishable and skipping condiments like mayonnaise will also keep children safer.
As both a Tampa personal injury attorney and a father, I know how important it is for parents to keep their kids safe from all kinds of threats. Whether that means installing a fence around your pool, fitting them for a bicycle helmet, or packing different items for lunch there are many things you can do to protect your children.