09/03/08 Back to School Lunches

Back to School Lunches. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. School is back in session around the northwest after the long Labor Day weekend and of course that means new pencils, shoes, books and of course the school lunch. Whether it comes in a Spongebob Squarepants lunch box or a brown paper bag, the lunch you send with your child needs to be packed with care and consideration: LAYMON: Children are more susceptible to food borne illness than adults. So preventing food borne illness is important in school lunches. Ellen Laymon of ODA's Food Safety Division, says it all starts with the preparation of the lunch at home, using clean surfaces and clean hands in putting the food together. You should also be concerned about the kinds of food you send to school with your kids: LAYMON: Hot food should stay hot and cold food should stay cold, as you well know, and planning what you are going to send and maybe what's more shelf-stable that doesn't need to be refrigerated or kept warm. Chips, crackers, raisins, those little individual cans of fruit are all safe for school lunches. Items involving meat, eggs, or dairy products need to stay cold through the morning hours. Using a gel-pack in an insulated lunch bag is probably a safe way to go- especially given that most kids, once at school, won't be putting that lunch in a refrigerator. One other tip- just to be safe, tell your kids that leftovers from a school lunch are probably a no-no. Laymon says it is important to keep most foods packed in a school lunch cold for as long as possible: LAYMON: You can start with an insulated bag or double-bag a paper sack to increase insulation. Include a gel-pack, freeze a juice box, pack a sandwich next to a frozen juice box, things like that. Laymon reminds parents and kids that handwashing is important before all meals of the day. Lunch at school is no exception: LAYMON: Kids' hands are dirty from recess, from going to the bathroom. Before they go to lunch, they should wash their hands before they eat- absolutely. Another though I want to leave you with is to be very mindful of school zones as you are travelling to work or where ever. Slow it down and watch out for the little ones. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.