Food Focus November 2008
Lunchbox safety and food safety messages for pregnant women are latest offerings
NZFSA’s most popular booklet, ‘Food safety in pregnancy’, has been revised and a new resource for schools about keeping lunchboxes foodsafe is now available
Virtually all expectant mums in New Zealand receive copies of the booklet Food safety in pregnancy designed to help keep mothers and babies safe from foodborne illness through this vulnerable time. This is the fourth time the booklet has been revised since it was first published in 2003. “We regularly review our publications to ensure the advice we give on various food safety topics is based on the most up-to-date information and the current best practice”, Principal Adviser (Public Health) Dr Donald Campbell says.
Although the new booklet carries much of the same advice and tips as the previous version, the revision contains stronger messages about the unsuitability of raw milk products for pregnant women and updated advice on higher risk foods such as processed meats and soft cheeses.
Expectant mothers are more vulnerable because their immune systems are lowered during pregnancy, Dr Campbell explains. They are more at risk of falling ill with foodborne illness and the illness is likely to be more severe. “The advice in the booklet is tailored to mums-to-be so they learn about higher risk foods that have greater potential to make them sick and also possibly affect their unborn baby. It also emphasises the importance of having clean hands when dealing with food and sticking to our clean, cook, cover, chill advice.”
Dr Campbell says many women find eating in pregnancy difficult because of morning sickness and he says it is important that NZFSA advises women not to eat certain foods only when there are clear scientific reasons to do so. “We don’t want to make eating during pregnancy harder than it has to be”, he says.
My cool lunchbox
A new resource aimed at school kids (and their parents) emphasises the importance of keeping lunchboxes ‘cool’. The brochure shows a well-packed lunchbox with some easy to remember food safety messages. Over the summer months it is particularly important to make sure perishable foods are kept cool and lunchboxes kept clean.
NZFSA has other resources available for schools, such as stickers, posters, magnets and balloons, to help spread the food safety message.
These resources are available at no charge – call the consumer helpline on 0800 693 721 (0800 NZFSA1) or email info@nzfsa.govt.nz to order them.
Food safety in pregnancy can be downloaded from our website (to see if you have the latest pregnancy booklet, look for the publication date on the back cover – August 2008)