Education
Back-to-School Food Safety Tips for Parents and Caregivers
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By KRISTINA BEAUGH
Back to school, back to the books, back shuttling students to and from extracurricular activities. The new school year likely means back to packing lunches and after-school snacks for students, scouts, athletes, dancers, and all the other children who carry these items to and from home. One “back” you do not want to reacquaint children with, however, is foodborne bacteria.
Bacteria that cause foodborne illness, commonly known as food poisoning, grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. In this temperature range, these microorganisms can multiply to dangerous levels in just two hours, increasing the risk of foodborne illness.