Many parents fail test in proper lunch packing

Is your kid’s lunch box safe? A recent survey from the American Dietetic Assn. and ConAgra Foods Foundation found that a majority of parents fail to properly pack their children’s lunches.

For example, most parents failed to use ice packs in their child’s lunches, even though lunch boxes are likely to stay in unrefrigerated lockers for three or four hours.

To help keep foods safe, use ice packs or frozen juice boxes when packing perishable foods and buy well-insulated lunch bags or boxes. Also, tell your children to throw away all perishable leftovers after lunch.

For more information, visit www.homefoodsafety.org

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Tea time has benefits

Perhaps the British and Chinese are on to something. Recent studies have found that drinking tea black or green, cold or hot may have health benefits that include stronger bones, improved arteries and healthier hearts, according to Consumer Reports on Health.

The newsletter from the Consumer Union cites intriguing studies into the relationship between health and tea drinking. One Dutch study found tea drinkers had a lower risk of fatal heart attacks than non-tea drinkers. A Chinese study found people over 30 who had been drinking tea for six to 10 years had a higher bone density in the spine than those who didn’t drink tea.

For a copy of the report, call (800) 765-1845.