Lunch Box Safety: What Germs are in Your Kid's Bag?

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Continuous Chill

Bacteria has a "sweet spot" temperature where it thrives, so Katie Clark, MPH, RD, CDED recommends, "Avoid the danger zone between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit." Stock up on reusable ice packs to keep cold foods cold, or freeze lunch fare such as water, juice, fruit or even yogurt. They'll stay cool and keep the other foods around them from spoiling, and thaw by lunch time. A 2011 study published in Pediatrics found that over a whopping 90 percent of preschoolers' lunch items in packed lunches were kept at an unsafe temperature, which can lead to bacteria such as e.coli multiplying at an alarming rate inside of your child's lunch box.