Bl2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 8,1983
Pack a safe school lunch
WASHINGTON, U.U. - For
millions of children the sounds of
summer have given way to school
bells announcing the return to the
classroom. That means it’s, time
once again to pack lunch bags and
boxes with nutritious, safe meals.
“Just as there are certain rules
of conduct in school, there also are
basic food safety guidelines for
packing school lunches,” said
Donald L. Houston, administrator
of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Food Safety and
Inspection Service. “The rule of
thumb is: keep hot foods hot, cold
foods cold and all foods clean.
“Following this advice will help
assure that food poisoning bacteria
do not multiply,” he said. “These
bacteria thrive in warm tem
peratures if foods are not handled
properly, and given enough time-2
hours of more-they can cause food
poisoning with its attendant
nausea, dizziness, abdominal
cramps and diarrhea. Depending
on the type of organism, symptoms
can begin as soon as several hours
Algerian
officials
explore
agribusiness
avenues
ALGIERS - Under
Secretary of
Agriculture Seeley G.
Lodwick concluded his
Algerian visit last week,
and said talks with
government and trade
officials had provided
new avenues for ex
panded U.S. trade m
agriculture.
“Through our
meetings here with the
minister of agriculture
and industry leaders,
we have established
contacts for
agricultural and
business firms that will
expand U.S. exports to
these countries," he
said.
Lodwick was in
Algeria as the
agribusiness sector
leader of a high-level
trade mission led by
U.S. Secretary of
Commerce Malcolm
Baldrige. In addition to
Algeria, the team
visited Saudi Arabia to
explore opportunities
for agribusiness and
industry.
Lodwick praised
Algeria’s five-year
development plan,
which emphasizes
agriculture and
irrigation. “We will
work closely to see that
all people benefit from
the sharing of
agricultural resour
ces,” said Lodwick.
“Currently five U.S.
commodity organizati
ons are involved m
market development
efforts here,” he said.
In fiscal 1982, U.S.
agricultural exports to
Algeria totaled $205
million, primarily
wheat and coarse
grains. Lodwick raid he
hoped this level could be
increased in the future,
particularly for
products such as wheat,
com and vegetable oils.
after eating a meal and can last
from one to three days.
In addition to the basic rule,
Houston said, these few simple tips
will help prevent food poisoning:
-Use a vacuum bottle or similar
insulated container, where
possible. It will keep foods and
liquids either hot or cold for hours.
For example, soup or chili can be
kept piping hot until lunchtime.
-Another aid is commercial
freezer gel, which can usually be
found in the “picnic” section of
your grocery store. The reusable
gel helps keep meat and poultry
sandwiches and other perishable
foods cold for hours. A water-tight
plastic bag or other container filled
with ice cubes also works, but be
careful of leaks.
“Freezing sandwiches ahead of
time will also help keep foods cold
until lunch,” Houston said. “A
frozen sandwich placed in a bag or
lunch box early in the morning will
thaw by lunch time. A work of
caution-don’t overdo the butter or
mayonnaise, because the bread
may become soggy during
thawing.”
Concerned parents often ask,
“Which is better-a paper bag or a
lunch box?”
“Actually,” Houston said,
“they’re about equal in keeping
food hot or cold, although the lunch
box will better protect food from
crushing. Whether you use a paper
bag or lunch box really comes
down to a matter of preference. If
you use a lunch box, just be sure
that you clean it after each use. If
you prefer lunch bags, use clean
ones each time, since bags which
have been used may contain
harmful bacteria.
Although proper preparation of
lunches is important, the most
well-prepared and packaged lunch
can cause problems if it is handled
improperly. Here are some han
dling tips for students:
-Keep lunch bags and boxes
closed until it’s time to eat. This is
especially important to keep meat
or poultry sandwiches clean and
cool.
Whitmoyer cites 2 new products
MYGRSTOWN - Whitmoyer
Laboratories has introduced two
new products - Tesan, a new teat
dip designed to be effective against
mastitis-causing bacteria, and Nu-
Trate, an isotonically-balanced
nutritional aid for scouring or
stressed calves.
Research has shown that iodine
dips, while effective, can also be
irritating. To solve this problem,
contains the active ingredient
Chlorhexidine, the same disin
fectant used by surgeons. It also
has a near-neutral pH (6.5, the
same as milk). Special added
emollient forms gentle coating to
further soothe and protect teats.
For economy, dairymen will find
that using yields higher milk
production from more comfortable
cows.
It is available in convenient,
ready-to4ip one, five, 15 and 30
gallon containers.
When milk replacer is with
drawn, Nu-Trate will provide
nutritional support during high
stress periods caused by
dehydration or changed en
vironment A palatable, readily
absorbed formula, Nu-Trate works
rapidly to replenish vital nutrients
and improve Quid absorption.
Available in pre-measured,
single-dose packets which mix
easily with water. For extra
convenience, a bulk treatment size
is also being marketed.
For more information write
Whitraoyer Laboratories, Myer
stown, Pa., 17067. Toll-free
telephone; 1-800-233-7077.