Sep 13, 2024
PARKERSBURG — September is Food Safety Month and the Environmental Health department of the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department wants to make sure everyone is packing a healthy and safe lunch for school and work.
“Make sure you are washing your hands with soap and water before preparing any meals,” Environmental Health Director Nicole Needs said. “Dry them off with a clean towel, and keep your food prep areas clean and avoid cross contamination. Don’t use the same cutting board for raw meats and fruits and vegetables.”
Always pack school lunches in insulated lunch boxes and containers to keep perishable food items safe until lunchtime. Also include at least two cold items, such as frozen gel packs, frozen juice boxes or frozen bottled water, to make sure cold foods are kept under 40 degrees until lunch.
Juice boxes and bottled water should be thawed by the time lunch arrives.
Use an insulated container to keep hot foods at a safe temperature, first filling it with boiling water and letting it stand for a few minutes, then discard water and add the hot food. Keep the container closed until lunchtime.
Foods that do not require refrigeration are great for school lunches. Those include shelf-stable meals, whole or dried fruits such as apples and bananas, whole vegetables such as baby carrots and cherry tomatoes, hard cheeses such as cheddar, gouda and parmesan, bread and crackers and jerky.
Leaving food too long at room temperature causes bacteria to grow that can cause illness, Needs said.
“Never leave food out of the refrigerator for more than two hours,” Needs said.
For more food safety tips, visit www.usda.gov or www.foodsafety.gov.
The Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department serves Wood, Wirt, Calhoun, Pleasants, Ritchie and Roane Counties.
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