How to Keep Lunch Fresh for School or OfficeKaty, Texas, (September 16, 2011) – There’s been concern in the press lately about the safety of pre-school lunches. A small Texas study contends that little tykes are bringing lunch in containers that don’t keep food fresh and can go bad by lunchtime. Well, there’s another voice in Texas that says lunch can and should be kept fresh. Their technology and soft-sided cooler designs make it possible to have it all.
The voice is from Igloo Products, the nation’s largest and oldest designer of coolers. And lunch is a big part of their business. “Taking a tasty, healthy lunch to school, to the office, to a construction site, out on the boat or anywhere is a challenge, “says Melissa Poole, Igloo product manager. “We faced it long ago and the solutions we’ve developed make it possible for students, office workers, virtually anyone who carries lunch, to pack lunch at breakfast and know that it will be kept fresh until lunchtime,” she said.
The solution is an extensive line of soft-sided, insulated coolers, offering cooler technology on the inside and attractive, efficient design on the outside. One of the new lines, called DUO (for combination cooling and fashion), is offered in a variety of styles - backpacks, messenger bags, dual compartments or simple insulated lunch sacks, so that it serves an all-day purpose. And it’s getting a great reception.
The MacDonald family of Fairfield, Connecticut, is typical of the 2011 lunch bunch. Mr. MacDonald works in an office. Mrs. MacDonald teaches ballet several days a week. Children Hannah, 10, and Zachary, 7, go to the local elementary school. They all carry lunch and preparation happens over the breakfast counter.
Says Mrs. MacDonald, lunch has become much easier using their new, insulated lunch coolers that keep food fresh. “We have more flexibility in what I can pack. My husband likes sandwiches and fresh fruit. The kids take sandwiches with meats that must be kept cool. They also like fruit, juices and chocolate chip cookies. Have you ever found your chocolate chip cookies melted at lunch in the cafeteria? Kinda spoils your kid’s day,” she said. “I take fruit and other pick-me-up snacks and use my Duo tote as half dance bag and half cooler bag. I don’t need to transfer to a refrigerator to keep things cool until I’m between classes.”
The assembly of lunch takes place over breakfast. Depending on the size of the cooler, one or more Igloo refreezable ice packs are kept in the freezer and placed in the insulated lunch coolers.
Then the food is packed around the ice pack. “I’ve learned to be strategic in placing the various items, so Hannah doesn’t have a frozen sandwich and Zach’s fruit is just right,” says Mrs. MacDonald. “It’s a learning process that we’ve mastered and it works, most of the time. We have our occasional goof-ups, but I use enough ice packs so that we never worry about freshness through lunchtime. At night the bag liners are cleaned with a damp cloth and the ice packs popped back in the freezer to be ready for the next day,” she said.
The cost of reusable soft-sided coolers for lunch at school or anywhere is minimal. They range from $7.99, plus refreezable ice. Says product manager Poole, “The fragile economy has made carrying lunch a lot more common. Our coolers simplify the task and ensure that the wider array of choices you or your children take for lunch stay fresh. And our coolers are reusable and washable, eliminating the cost of throwaways. We think it’s a great solution to carrying a healthy lunch every day, regardless of where you’re headed.”
For more information about Igloo’s line of soft-sided coolers or about any other Igloo product or the answers to any company questions, contact Sue Miller Payton at smpayton@igloocorp.com or visit the company’s Web site at www.igloocoolers.com.
Founded in 1947, Texas-based Igloo Products Corporation is today an international designer, manufacturer and marketer of outdoor products that make the outdoor experience more accessible and more fun. So whether it’s on the water, near the water, on the trail, on the hunt, in the mountains or just around the house for family fun, Igloo goes where you go and makes the experience better. For more information on Igloo, visit the company's Web site at www.igloocoolers.com.
