Preparing lunches for yourself and family is convenient, nutritional, and often a money-saver, but some simple food safety tips will ensure you and your family don't get sick from food poisoning.
• Choose low-risk foods including hard cheeses, well-cooked meats and poultry, fresh well-washed fruits and vegetables, and sandwich spreads such as honey and Vegemite.
• Avoid foods which may have higher risks such as raw egg mayonnaise, soft cheeses, deli meats, pates, etc.
• When buying lunchboxes choose ones which are easy to clean and dry. Insulated lunchboxes are great, but not if they are difficult to keep clean.
• When preparing food, always practice scrupulous hand-washing.
• Lunchboxes and drink bottles must be thoroughly washed and dried daily. If cracked, split or crazed, replace then as bugs love hidey holes.
• Ensure cutting boards, benches and utensils are clean and dry.
• Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
• Make sure lunch foods are cooked properly in the first place.
• When reheating, make sure they are steaming hot all the way through. Stir or turn food as appropriate.
• Lunches can safely be prepared a little ahead of time provided they are kept in the fridge or frozen.
• Lunchboxes kept inside the school bag will keep cooler longer, especially if the bag is away from heat sources such as direct sunlight.
• Make sure lunchbox foods have been well separated from other foods in the refrigerator, particularly meats, chicken and fish, the juices of which will contaminate foods which will not be cooked before adding to the lunchbox, such as fruits.
General advice
• If in doubt throw it out.
• Warn children against sharing drink bottles. Sharing lunches is also not a good idea as it is difficult to know what allergies other children may have, or whether the foods have been prepared using the basic food safety tips.