Food Safety During the Holidays

Did you know that food poisoning can be more that just an upset stomach? It is actually a very serious public health threat in America. So serious that the CDC estimates that approximately 1 in every 6 Americans (that’s roughly 48 million people!) could end up suffering from food-borne illnesses this year. With about 128,000 of those ending hospitalizations and sadly, an estimated 3,000 deaths. I don’t know about you but those numbers are terrifying. So what can you do to protect yourself from food-borne illnesses? The Food Safe Families Campaign (a partnership on behalf of the Ad Council, USDA, FDA and CDC) would like to help parents protect their families from food-borne illness during the upcoming holidays.

One of the best things about the holidays is spending time with the family. And what do families and friends do when they get together? They eat! I always stress about create my menu but once it comes time to cooking I go into a zone and some how, some way I create  huge meals for every one to enjoy. But gathering around the table is not the only time we need to be vigilant in how we prepare food for our families, it is an every day thing and one that should never be taken lightly. Today I wanted to share with you some tips on how to keep your families food safe, during the holidays and year round.

Brown paper bags are a thing of the past. There is a big trend right now called the Bento lunchbox. If you aren’t aware of them, I highly recommend them. They are awesome because they have little compartments to keep your foods separated. Not only is this great for picky eaters that don’t like their foods touching, but it’s also great to making sure there is no possible food contamination from wholes in bags or food falling out onto the floor. And you can get super creative with them, it’s a bit of an addiction so be prepared if you buy a set.

 
Here’s a few school lunch tips that may be new to you or you may know some of them.
Tip #1: If the lunch you’re packing contains perishable food items like cold cut meats, eggs and yogurt, make sure to pack it with freezer packs or keep it otherwise chilled.  Harmful bacteria multiply rapidly in the “Danger Zone” — the temperatures between 40 and 140 °F (4.4 °C and 60 °C). So, perishable food transported without an ice source won’t stay safe long.
Tip #2: Frozen juice boxes can also be used as freezer packs. Freeze juice boxes overnight and use as freezer packs. By lunchtime, the juice should be thawed and ready to drink!
Tip #3: Pack lunches in an insulated, soft-sided lunch bag. Lunches with perishable food items can be unsafe to eat by lunchtime if packed in an old-fashioned brown paper bag.
Tip #4: If there is a refrigerator at school, tell your child to keep their lunch inside. But leave the lid of the lunchbox or bag open so that cold air can better circulate and keep the food cold.
Tip #5:  After lunch, discard all leftover food, used food packaging, and paper bags. Do not reuse packaging because it could contaminate other food and cause food-borne illness.

 

Check out How to Pack a Safe & Satisfying School Lunch by Food Safe Campaign (Ad Council, USDA, HHS) on Snapguide. 

For more information on food safety and have access to an online help center be sure to check out FoodSafety.gov. They have a plethora of information on preventing food-borne illnesses, in both English and Spanish. Or if it is easier for you, you can call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline.