School Food Poisoning Concerns Voiced In Australia
NSW Food Authority chief executive officer Polly Bennett has stated that the danger of gastrointestinal disorder is a real issue for numerous parents, especially throughout the warmer month school terms.
Coordinating the back-to-school rush can be a bit of a tester at the very best of times, but when it concerns guaranteeing school lunch safety, there is assistance at hand according to The Daily Liberal, who have recently published a report about gastrointestinal disorders in Australia. NSW Food Authority chief executive officer Polly Bennett stated the danger of food going bad, and gastrointestinal disorder has become a growing concern for many parents, particularly in the warmer months of the first school term. She stated... "It holds true that as temperatures increase, so does the risk of food poisoning."
"So the basic guideline is to keep it cool for school in order to lower that hazard," stated Bennett, who shared the following advice... "We do actually see a seasonal trend, whereby the rate of salmonella; among the most common bacteria associated with food poisoning, increases in the summer season. In the summer months of 2013-14 there was approximately 371 salmonella cases for NSW residents compared to around 186 over the winter months."
According to the health officer the best method to keep food safe as well as to prevent food going off in a lunchbox, is to keep it cool. She added... "The what's what of the matter is that there are generally a number of hours in between a school lunch being packed, to when it is actually eaten, but by following a few simple steps parents can keep their children's lunch fresh, healthy and safe. Food security for youngsters is a lot bigger concern due to them being so much more susceptible to the more serious effects of gastrointestinal disorder."
Ms Bennett said the recommendations were particularly well timed as the Food Safety Council had just released figures that demonstrate that 25% of moms and dads who packed school lunches did not put a frozen beverage or freezer block in their child's lunch bag. She added... "Putting a frozen beverage or freezer block in your child's lunchbox is among the simplest and most reliable approaches of keeping the threat of gastrointestinal disorder at bay. The other vital thing to bear in mind when going back to school is the possibility of food allergies, whether it is your own child who suffers or whether playing the role in looking out for other youngsters who could have a food allergy. Most of NSW schools and kindergartens have a nut free policy, given that it is a high danger irritant, however it deserves contacting local schools about guidelines concerning foods containing allergens."
The NSW Food Authority discusses that the bugs that trigger food poisoning grow best in temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees Celsius, making it exceptionally important to keep lunch boxes cool, so parents have been advised to store food and drinks in a frozen lunch box or cooler bag to avoid food poisoning.
Source: Newswire January 27, 2015
