Did you know that your child can get food poisoning that has come in contact with the inside of his lunch box?

To prevent foodborne odors and possible food poisoning, it’s important that bags or lunch boxes are routinely cleaned.

Ideally, a children’s lunch box should be cleaned with a damp cloth to which a little antibacterial soap has been added. The children’s lunch box should be rinsed and dried well. If your child’s lunch box can withstand regular washing and rinsing, it should be washed every day and allowed to dry. Never close or replace the lid on a children’s lunch box that is not completely dry.

Counter surfaces where prep work takes place should be cleaned before removing any of your ingredients or wrapping/container supplies. Likewise, your hands and any utensils should be washed thoroughly.

To protect your child from the threat of food poisoning, consider freezing sandwiches ahead of time or packing a frozen or partially frozen drink or ice pack in your child’s lunch box. Most school lunches are allowed to sit at room temperature for about four hours. Frozen sandwiches, even in insulated bags, will thaw during this time, giving your child a fresh sandwich for lunch.

The freshness of the sandwich is maintained when you use fresh ingredients and prepare and freeze quantities for no more than two weeks.

However, it is important that sandwich fillings are selected carefully, as not all ingredients can be frozen safely. Good fillings include cold cuts, cooked poultry and roast beef, low-fat cheese, peanut butter (and jelly), etc. Do not freeze eggs or sandwiches like tuna or salmon with mayonnaise.

Sandwiches must be securely wrapped in plastic or sealed in plastic bags without excess air. To ensure your sandwiches are used within the coolest time period, place all similar sandwiches back in the original bread bag and label them with a best before date.