Keeping packed lunches cold (or hot) 🧊

These are general kitchen-hygiene tips, not medical advice. Follow your local food-safety authority's guidance and your school's rules.

• Keep cold food cold: use an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack, especially for rice, egg, meat, fish, dairy and cut fruit.
• Cool before packing: let cooked food cool quickly (spread it out, then refrigerate) and pack it chilled. Don't close a lid over warm food in a cold box.
• Keep hot food hot: pre-heat a thermos with boiling water for 5 minutes, empty it, then fill with piping-hot food.
• Rice: refrigerate cooked rice promptly and use it within a day for lunchboxes.
• Prep the night before: store packed boxes in the fridge overnight.
• Leftovers: throw out anything that comes home uneaten from a lunchbox.
• Clean daily: wash boxes, lids and seals in hot soapy water.