As we prepare for the return of the school year, here are some food safety precautions from the Allegheny County Health Department on those lunches you pack from home:

• Keep everything that touches food clean. Wash your hands with hot, soapy water before preparing food, and also wash surfaces and utensils that touch food. Use a fork or spoon, instead of your hands, to handle or mix foods.

• Wash fruits and vegetables. This helps remove not only visible dirt but also bacteria, viruses and insecticide sprays that can't be seen with the naked eye.

• Refrigerate lunches packed the night before. Perishables -- any foods containing meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy products or eggs -- must be kept cold. Add chips, cookies and other non-perishables that go limp in the fridge the next day.

• Keep the lunch cold. Since refrigeration is usually unavailable at school, use an insulated lunch bag, box or freeze pack to keep food cold until lunch time. Store it in the coolest place possible and away from sunlight. Use a thermos or insulated bottle to keep hot foods hot.

• Discard uneaten perishables after lunch. Insulated bags, boxes and freeze packs keep cold foods safe only until lunch time. Leftovers should be tossed out and not kept to be eaten later in the day.

• Clean out insulated lunch bags or boxes every night before packing for the next day to keep bacteria from growing inside. A weekly cleaning with a solution of baking soda and water should eliminate any odors.