Be they businessmen, plumbers or school children, huge amounts of people have a home-prepared packed lunch for their midday meal.  This is good news; making your food at home can be a much healthier alternative to ready-prepared sandwiches or meals in shops.  However, in terms of food safety, the more people there are making meals, the higher the chances that people are going to start falling ill due to a lack of understanding of the basic principles behind food hygiene.  In the next few posts I will cover some advice that will help you make your packed lunch safely and hygienically.

To start with, it is vital to understand that bacteria are everywhere and all food contains them.  Normally, cooking food kills off harmful bacteria, making it safe to eat; however, the kind of food you put in your packed lunch is normally cold and doesn’t require cooking.  For this reason, when making a packed lunch, it is more important than ever to ensure you take all precautions to minimise the amount of bacteria .