Now, for children who eat their lunch through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), it’s important to teach them ways they can help prevent foodborne illness at lunchtime, too. And getting active through advocacy is critical for positive change.
Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture states they are “committed to a comprehensive, coordinated approach to food safety for the NSLP,” the sad reality is that children have become gravely ill from lunches served at schools.
One young girl, Lindsay, endured extensive health problems and horrific pain after eating a strawberry dessert served at her Michigan school that was contaminated with Hepatitis A. And Lindsay wasn’t the only victim. A huge outbreak ensued with hundreds more Michigan children getting sick with Hep A from tainted strawberries.
So, STOP urges you to do a couple of things:
First, talk with your kids about this issue and share food safety tips they need to use, which include:
+ Washing their hands. Your child should wash his/her hands before and after they eat.
+ Avoiding putting food on tables. Keep it on the plate, or put a napkin down.
+ Checking for undercooked food. For instance, if hamburger meat looks raw/pink, your child shouldn’t eat it.
+ Checking for food that looks spoiled. For instance, if vegetables/fruits are wilting, have mold, or look discolored, your child shouldn’t eat them. Help your child learn more.
+ Reporting unsanitary conditions. Cafeteria workers not wearing gloves/hairnets, dirty surfaces/equipment, yellowish water flowing from the drinking fountain, and cockroaches/rodents roaming around are some examples. If your child spots these or any other unacceptable conditions, he/she should report it to a school authority ASAP.
+ Inspect the cafeteria yourself. Make a personal visit to your child’s school and take a good look around the cafeteria. Again, report anything unsanitary that’s a food safety hazard.
Next, become an advocate for improved school food safety practices and stricter regulations.
Start by reviewing this Food-Safe Schools Action Guide published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It’s intended for school nutrition directors, but it’s an excellent resource for parents, too. This guide helps bring together all aspects of school food safety that need to be considered when serving food in schools. It’ll help you become aware of regulations, ask good questions, and take action on anything you feel isn’t up to snuff.
Then, reach out to your legislators today and urge them to take action on regulations you’d like to see tightened up to help prevent foodborne illness in schools.
For inspiration, read the story of Tyler and his mother, Cheryl. As an 11-year-old, Tyler ate a contaminated, undercooked burger at his school that caused terrible pain and nasty health problems, including life-threatening kidney failure. In her testimony to government officials , Cheryl laid out 4 key steps she felt needed to be acted on ASAP.
Stop Foodborne Illness is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent the law allows.
