By: Natasha Archary
With the recent outbreak of typhoid fever in the country, concerns have been raised about food safety.
Last week, reports of food poisoning at an Eastern Cape school highlighted the importance of enforcing safety standards for packed lunches.
Due to hot weather conditions and loadshedding, food can spoil fairly quickly if not packed properly.
If packed incorrectly, perishable food can spoil within two hours.
High risk foods for packed lunches include:
- Meat
- Poultry
- Seafood
- Eggs
- Dairy products (milk, cheese, yoghurt)
- Canned fruit
- Cooked fruit and vegetables
- Cut/peeled fruit and vegetables
- Pasta
- Rice
Safer options include:
- Peanut butter sandwiches
- Popcorn
- Bread
- Crackers
- Bagels or croissants
- Fruit that is unpeeled or uncut
- Unopened containers of fruit
- Commercially prepared meats like cold cuts
- Dried fruit
- Nuts
- Cookies
- Cereal bars or granola
Midday Joy listeners share their favourite lunch ideas with Andy Maqondwana:
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Food safety tips for packed lunches:
- Wash your hands with warm water and soap before preparing foods
- Clean contact surfaces, between tasks, and if they become contaminated.
- Sanitizers can be used for added protection.
- Clean lunch boxes with hot, soapy water and either air dry or use a clean cloth, or disposable paper towel to dry.
- Wash fresh fruits and vegetables under running water and dry thoroughly before packing.
- To prevent cross-contamination, don’t reuse packaging materials, such as plastic bags, paper and foil food wraps.
- If the lunch contains perishable food, like lunch meats, eggs, cheese or yogurt, make sure to keep it cold.
- If you prepare lunches the night before, store in the fridge overnight.
- Place ice or gel packs around the food to keep items cool.
- Freeze water bottles or juice boxes to place in the lunch box for added temperature control.
- Pack hot foods in an insulated thermos while the food is hot; don’t wait for it to cool before packing.
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