Packing Food For School and Day Care

Foodborne illness and poisoning can result from food that is improperly prepared or stored.

These problems are especially relevant when packing food for school and day care lunches. Lunch bags and boxes can be mixed up, and the food cannot always be stored in a refrigerator.

Some simple tips and plans can help you avoid the risk of foodborne illness:

• Each child's lunch brought from home is clearly labeled with the child's name, the date, and the type of food.
• Food should be stored at an appropriate temperature until eaten.
• The food brought from one child's home should not be fed to another child.
• Children should not share their food.

Sometimes, particularly for birthdays or other special occasions, parents may want to bring a food treat, such as a cake, cupcakes, or other "party" food, to share with all the children.

If parents want to bring food to your gathering, you should tell them to bring food bought at a store or restaurant approved and inspected by the local health authority. Many institutional outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness, including infectious hepatitis, have been linked to eating home-prepared foods.

Reprinted with permission from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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