Pushing for Food Safety during a Pandemic

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

As the start of school approaches, food safety should still be at the forefront of parents’ minds when it comes to lunchtime.

Amidst the recent changes created by the pandemic, a small sense of “normal” seems to be returning as the start of schools across the nation creeps closer. While food safety always is key when resuming the process of packing a student’s lunch, new tips and tricks can be employed this year to further promote food safety.

While coronaviruses cannot grow on food, individuals should still prioritize safe handling and cooking of food. The easiest way to accomplish this task is to promote food safety at home through proper handling and storage, said Ravi Jadeja, food safety specialist for the Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center.

“Bacteria that can cause foodborne illness or food poisoning grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees [Fahrenheit],” Jadeja said. “These microorganisms can multiply to dangerous levels in just four hours, but packed lunches and snacks can be kept safe by following USDA’s four steps to food safety: clean, separate, cook and chill.”

Jadeja offers the following food safety advice – with a few tips designed to add an extra layer of safety during the pandemic – to food handlers, parents and caregivers as they return to the kitchen to pack lunches for the upcoming school year.

Packaging and storing food

• Wash hands, contact surfaces, utensils and dishes thoroughly before beginning any food preparation to help prevent contamination. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol.
• Regularly clean and disinfect kitchen counters using a commercially available disinfectant production. Do NOT use these solutions or other disinfecting products on food or food packaging.
• Avoid cross-contamination by using separate cutting boards and utensils for produce, meat and poultry.
• Always wash all fresh fruits and vegetables, and check expiration dates on canned goods. Use only cold, running tap water. Do NOT use soap, bleach, sanitizer, alcohol, disinfectant or any other chemical on produce.
• Include at least two cold sources when packing food to keep perishable items at a safe temperature. Frozen juice boxes or water bottles can be used in addition to freezer packs. Place the cold sources on top and beneath the perishable food.
• Prepackaged meals commonly contain perishable food items and should be refrigerated and packed in lunches with cold sources.
• Store lunches in an insulated lunchbox or soft-sided bag. Paper bags are not capable of keeping perishable items safe.
• Pack lunches the night before, and store them in a refrigerator to keep the food colder longer.

Eating and disposing of leftovers

• Keep disposable wipes within reach to clean hands both before and after eating.
• Talk to your family about the dangers of sharing lunches with others, as it cannot be assumed other food was prepared with proper food safety protocols.
• Dispose of all remaining perishable food after eating.
• Dispose of all packaging and bags, and thoroughly clean reusable containers and bags after eating. Do not reuse disposable packaging.

FAPC, a part of OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, helps to discover, develop and deliver technical and business information that will stimulate and support the growth of value-added food and agricultural products and processing in Oklahoma.

MEDIA CONTACT: Mandy Gross | FAPC Communications Services | 405-744-0442 | mandy.gross@okstate.edu