Many Americans regularly eat lunch and snacks at their workplace. Some have designated lunchrooms, but many of us regularly eat at our desks- including me!
By following a few simple, common sense food safety tips, you can safely dine during work hours. First, wash your hands properly and often!
Keep Cold Foods Cold:
- Use the refrigerator to store your lunch and snacks
- If there isn’t a refrigerator, use an ice pack or frozen water bottle
- Keep food out of the “Danger Zone” (41-135°F) for longer than 2 hours
Refrigerator Safety:
- Label and date your food and leftovers
- Throw away your foods that are over 3-5 days old
- Wash and sanitize the interior of the refrigerator on a regular basis
Microwave Oven Hints:
- Keep all foods being cooked or reheated covered
- Immediately wipe down all splatters
- Wash and sanitize the interior of the microwave on a regular basis
In The Break Or Lunch Room:
- Do not use sponges, which are a breeding ground for germs
- Use disposable paper towels
- Wash dishes in hot soapy water, rinse, sanitize and air dry
Food Safety Tools to Keep On Hand At Work:
- Hand Sanitizer
- Disinfectant Wipes
- Washing your hands and all surfaces with warm, soapy water is best, but if that is not possible at least use hand sanitizer and/or disinfectant wipes.
- Paper Towels
- Spray Disinfectant
- Labels for foods and leftovers
- Marker
- Refrigerator Thermometer-make sure your office refrigerator is set properly below 40®
- Food Thermometer- always reheat leftover lunch foods to an internal temperature of 165®
If You Take Your Lunch To Work:
- Wash your lunch container and thermos in hot soapy water every day
- If you use a brown paper bag, purchase lunch size bags and use a clean bag each day
- Pre-heat thermos with hot water before filling with hot liquids
- Pre-chill thermos with ice water before filling with cold liquids
Desk Drawer Food Storage Hints:
- Snacks and foods may attract pests to work areas
- Periodically clean and disinfect desk top, drawers, table tops and other work surfaces
- Keep only a limited supply of individually wrapped, single serve portions of snacks in your desk drawer, purse, briefcase or backpack
Happy, food safe office dining!
