AROUND 99 per cent of children’s lunchboxes reached potentially unsafe temperatures when tested as part of a Bournemouth University study.

The research, by senior lecturer in Food Safety Philippa Hudson and dissertation student Hannah Walley, took place at a junior school in Dorset where more than half of pupils took in a packed lunch.

Lunchboxes were kept in trays in corridors, and temperatures were measured throughout the day over a school term.

The results showed that all but one of the lunchboxes – which had a large ice pack inside – reached potentially dangerous temperatures.

Philippa said: “There has been a lot of concern about healthy eating and what children are putting in their lunchbox, but nothing about how safe the food is in their lunchbox.

“The lunchboxes started off refrigerated, but by about 10am they were at ambient temperature. After being in the sun, they went up to 20-24 degrees, which is the temperature at which bacteria grows very rapidly so the risk factors are there.”

Philippa said small ice packs, which 20 per cent of parents said they put into the lunchboxes, did not maintain temperature sufficiently.

She also found that left-over food which came into contact with the surfaces of the lunchboxes could then contaminate food items subsequently placed into them.

Some samples tested positive for the staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which can lead to food poisoning, skin infections and life-threatening illnesses like meningitis and pneumonia.

Philippa stressed the need to wash and dry lunchboxes thoroughly and avoid high risk items like seafood and leftovers.