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Food Safety for Brown Bag Lunches

Who doesn't look forward to eating lunch? Lunch offers us time to catch up with coworkers or friends over a good meal. It doesn't matter whether you have an hour or just thirty minutes, you will want to follow some safety precautions so that the food you eat will not come back to haunt you.


Food Safety for Brown Bag Lunches

One of the first safety issues with food concerns keeping the hot foods hot and the cold foods cold. The biggest concerns with hot foods are that they won't stay hot for several hours. So, for the hot foods you will want to get an insulated container or a thermos. If you are going to reheat the food before eating, it should be room temperature or cool when it is packed.

Always let the food cool down before refrigerating. This avoids excessive condensation inside the container. The condensation that builds up inside the container can make food soggy. In addition, it doesn't look good when the container is opened and extra water has collected on the food. Try to keep these things in mind unless, of course, you like soggy bread.

If you choose to buy the frozen meals from the store, there's no need to thaw them out before packing your lunch. By the time that lunch time roles around, the meal will probably not be frozen anymore. If you want to keep the temperature constant so the meal won't completely thaw out before you eat it you can use a cold pack in your bag.

The frozen meals that you buy contain preservatives so they are not as much of a worry as homemade dishes. Anything containing mayonnaise or eggs hold up better with refrigeration. A lunch bag that is left out in the heat or not refrigerated will become spoiled over time. It doesn't necessarily mean that your lunch will be that way if you have an ice pack, but you just never know what might happen. Leftovers for lunch that are a few days old combined with the lack of refrigeration can really cause serious problems.

If you don't finish eating your lunch but plan on eating more of it later it will still need to be refrigerated. If you don't intend on eating all of your lunch you should remove a portion of the meal to another plate or container. The enzymes that are in saliva break down food and can actually cause bacteria to spread more rapidly.

Last but not least, always empty the lunch bag when you get home. Kids have been known for leaving leftover food in their lunch bag. Always make sure to clean the bag out in case something has spilled or there are food pieces left in the bottom. By following these tips your family can enjoy eating their bagged lunch without the worries of getting sick.




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