If you’re always on the go and you regularly eat at your desks, stay healthy by following these food safety tips from the American Dietetic Association.
Keep Your Cool
More than two out of three desktop diners bring perishable food items for lunch, including sandwiches, fruits, vegetables and leftovers* - which can spoil if left unrefrigerated for more than two hours. Help your brown bag go the distance by storing it in the office fridge as soon as you get to work. No fridge at work? Pack your lunch in an insulated lunch bag and throw in an ice pack to keep foods cold. (Or, as an alternative, try using a frozen water bottle - it works just as well as an ice pack and doubles as a refreshing noon-time drink).

Follow Fridge Safety
According to the ADA survey, 44 percent of office refrigerators are cleaned only once a month, and 22 percent are cleaned just once or twice a year. Yet most perishable foods have a shelf life of just three to five days! Don’t wait for the clean-up crew to throw out your leftovers: Label and date your food and make sure to toss it in a timely fashion.

Manage the Microwave
More than half of all employees (53.4%) say the microwave in their office kitchen is cleaned only once a month or less - possibly leaving dried-up, splattered sauces on the inside walls. Be courteous when microwaving meals by keeping food containers covered. And if food splatters, wipe down the microwave immediately, while the food is still easy to remove.

Avoid Corporate Sponging
When it comes to washing dishes at the office, nearly one in three people uses a “community sponge” to clean their plates…a potentially dangerous habit if sponges aren’t properly maintained. A damp, smelly sponge is a clear sign that harmful bacteria are lurking inside, and simply rinsing a sponge with water isn’t enough to keep it clean. Don’t use the kitchen sponge if it’s not replaced frequently. Instead, use paper towels and always wash dishes in hot, soapy water to keep bacteria at bay.

Tools of the Trade
Make the most of your desktop dining experience by stocking up on these essential food safety supplies:

• Hand sanitizer
• Disinfectant wipes or paper towels and spray cleanser
• Office refrigerator or insulated lunch bag with freezer pack
• Labels for leftovers
• Refrigerator thermometer (make sure your office fridge is set properly below 40 degrees F)
• Meat thermometer (always reheat leftover lunch foods to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F)

Clock In Carry-Out
When bringing carry-out back to your desk, don’t wait too long before eating it or you could put yourself at risk of foodborne illness. If a looming deadline is unavoidable, put your lunch in the office fridge until you’re ready to eat.

Source: Homefoodsafety.org

When preparing your kid’s lunch be sure that all the food are clean and healthy. It might be challenging to prepare a healthy lunch but it just takes courage and creativity! Try to have some celery with peanut butter, tuna spaghetti and other healthy and hearty meal. Here are tips on preparing lunch.

Stay Cool for School
Perishable foods should not be left out of refrigeration for more than two hours — but according to a new survey of kids conducted by the American Dietetic Association , four out of five kids say they don’t have access to a refrigerator at school. Help keep your child’s lunch safe by packing it in an insulated lunch bag or lunch box and including an ice pack or frozen beverage container.
Skip the Shortcuts
Most parents (73 percent) prepare their child’s lunch in the morning before school which can make for an early morning time-crunch! Take the time to avoid shortcuts that can lead to foodborne illness. Make sure counter surfaces are clean and any remnants of last night’s dinner are long gone to prevent cross-contamination.

Start Each Day with a Clean Slate
Half of all kids who carry a lunch box or lunch bag to school say that their container is not cleaned every day, while a small percentage (8 percent) say it’s “hardly ever” cleaned. Start each day off fresh by making sure your child’s lunch box or lunch bag is washed with warm soapy water after each use — it’s just one more way to keep lunchtime bacteria at bay!

Chill out Right at Night
If you’re one of the 26 percent of parents who prefers to prepare their child’s lunch the night before, make sure perishable food items — such as yogurt, tuna salad and meat or cheese sandwiches — are properly stored in a refrigerator set below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Not sure what the temperature is in your fridge? Invest in a refrigerator thermometer to keep accurate tabs on the temp.

Create a (Shelf) Stable Environment
More than two — thirds of all kids say they want to eat healthy foods for lunch — but healthy doesn’t have to mean perishable. If refrigeration is unavailable, consider substituting perishables with shelf-stable foods such as trail mix, granola bars, bagels, carrot and celery sticks, whole fruit, single-serve applesauce, cans of tuna, and peanut butter.

Leave Leftovers Behind
One in four kids say they keep their lunchtime leftovers for an afternoon snack — but not all foods can go the distance. Encourage your kids to throw away perishable foods right after lunch, and pack extra non-perishable food items for them to enjoy as an afternoon pick-me-up.

Mind Your Fruits and Veggies
In addition to washing vegetables and ready-to-eat fruits like apples and grapes, parents also should rinse peel-and-eat fruits like bananas and oranges to eliminate harmful bacteria that can spread during peeling or cutting.

Lend a Helping Hand
While nearly 60 percent of kids don’t wash their hands before eating lunch, more than nine out of 10 kids say they would wash their hands with a moist towelette or hand sanitizer if one was included in their lunch container. Also, help teach kids the importance of lathering up before digging in by reinforcing good habits at home. Encourage them to sing two choruses of “Happy Birthday” (about 20 seconds) while washing their hands before family meals.

Source: Homesafety.org

When going to the stores to have some groceries, prepare your list so you can save time and effort in going to the different places. Here are some tips on buying some important things, FOOD!

Check for cleanliness in food shops and eating places. Dirty staff and conditions in public areas are probably a clue that things are worse in the kitchen where no one will see them.

Check that hot food is kept hot. Food in bain-maries should be steaming. Reheating lukewarm food is no guarantee of safety. In a restaurant it’s not the plate that needs to be hot, it’s the food served on it.

Check that cold food is kept cold. Chilled food should be stored below or behind the load line in open refrigerated cabinets in your supermarket. Never buy chilled food from a shop that stores it at room temperature.

When shopping, buy your cold food last and get it home fast.

Take an insulated bag with you to keep chilled and frozen food cold, especially if travelling more than 30 minutes to get home.

Before purchasing food always check the use-by-date and reject and report any items outside the use-by-date. If an item is close to the use-by-date think about when you will be eating or cooking the item. Does it have sufficient time before your intended use day? Do not use items beyond the use-by-date at home.

For many deli products and prepared foods which do not come with a use by date mark these with a purchase date before refrigerating and storing at home.

Source: Safefood.net.au