Today, victims of foodborne illness, including mothers and their children, are dropping off lunch bags to Senate offices in Washington, DC and Senate offices in several communities throughout the country. These mock-up lunch bags detail the potential health hazards that may exist in common lunch items such as sandwiches, snacks, berries and juice- foods that caring moms across the country are packing up to send their kids back to school with, and foods that we take for granted as being safe.

 

As the executive director of S.T.O.P.- Safe Tables Our Priority, an organization that has been supporting thousands of victims of foodborne disease for the past 16 years, I can tell you that legislative reform for FDA-regulated foods is sorely needed. FDA regulates 80% of the food supply and many of the products that we send with our kids to school in lunch bags. It is upsetting to think about, but the foods you eat to stay healthy can make you sick. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to protect yourself and your family from foodborne illness. There are things you can do in the grocery store, like avoiding cans that are bulging or jars that have cracks or loose lids. At home, you should

•    Be sure that your refrigerator and freezer are the right temperature for storing food
•    Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods right away
•    Throw away anything that looks or smells suspicious. If you think a food might be bad, don't taste it!
•    Wash your hands well before preparing food
•    Keep your work area, wash rags and utensils clean
•    Cook meats thoroughly