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  1. Food Safety During Emergencies

Floods: Key Tips for Consumers About Food and Water Safety

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Food Safety During Floods

En Español (Spanish)

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Be Prepared

  • Keep unscented liquid household bleach on hand.

  • Store a supply of food, water, and medication on shelves that will be safely out of the way in case of flooding. This should include a few days’ worth of ready-to-eat foods that do not require cooking or cooling, which depend on electricity.

  • Know where you can buy dry ice and blocked ice, in case it should be needed.

  • Know what to do in case of a power outage. 

  • Check the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s website for information about how to prepare an emergency kit and other safety tips.

When Flooding Occurs

Keep Water Safe

Follow these steps to keep your WATER SAFE during and after flooding.

  • Only use water from a safe source for drinking and washing or preparing food.
  • Use bottled water not exposed to flood waters, if available.
  • If you don’t have bottled water, you should boil or disinfect water to make it safe. (see steps below).
  • If you have a well that has been flooded, the water should be tested and disinfected after flood waters recede. If you suspect that your well may be contaminated, contact your local or state health department or agricultural extension agent for specific advice.

How to Boil or Disinfect Water to Make It Safe

If the water is cloudy, first filter it through clean cloths, or allow it to settle and then draw off the clear water for boiling/disinfecting. Then, follow one of these two procedures:

Boiling
Boiling water will kill most types of disease-causing organisms that may be present.

  1. Boil the water for 1 minute.
  2. Let it cool and store it in clean containers with covers.

Disinfecting with Bleach
In an emergency, it is safe to drink water that has been disinfected with bleach until regular water service is available again. Bleach will kill some, but not all, types of disease-causing organisms that may be in the water.

  1. Locate a fresh liquid bleach that has been stored at room temperatures for less than one year. Do not use scented, color safe, or bleaches with added cleaners.
  2. Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of unscented household (5.25% concentration) liquid bleach for each gallon of water. The label may say that the active ingredient contains 6 or 8.25% of sodium hypochlorite. 
  3. Stir well and let stand for 30 minutes before you use it. The water should have a slight chlorine odor. If it doesn’t, repeat the dosage and let stand for another 15 minutes before use. If the chlorine taste is too strong, pour the water from one clean container to another and let it stand for a few hours before use.
  4. Store disinfected water in clean containers with covers.

Keep Food Safe

Follow these steps to keep your FOOD SAFE during and after flood conditions. 

  • Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water.
  • Discard any food and beverage that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come into contact with flood water.
    • Food containers that are waterproof include undamaged, commercially prepared foods in all-metal cans and “retort pouches” (like flexible, shelf-stable juice or seafood pouches).
    • Food containers that are not waterproof include those with screw-caps, snap lids, pull tops, and crimped caps.
    • Also discard cardboard juice/milk/baby formula boxes and home canned foods if they have come in contact with flood water, because they cannot be effectively cleaned and sanitized.
  • Discard any food in damaged cans. Damaged cans are those with swelling, leakage, punctures, holes, fractures, extensive deep rusting, or crushing/denting that is severe enough to prevent normal stacking or opening with a manual, wheel-type can opener. See box on next page for steps to clean/save undamaged packages.
  • Thoroughly wash metal pans, ceramic dishes, and utensils (including can openers) with soap and water, using hot water if available. Rinse and then sanitize them by boiling in clean water or immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented household (5.25% concentration) liquid bleach per gallon of water.
  • Thoroughly wash countertops with soap and water, using hot water if available. Rinse and then sanitize by applying a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented household (5.25% concentration) liquid bleach per gallon of water. Allow to air dry.
  • Buy dry or block ice to keep the refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should keep an 18 cubic foot, fully stocked freezer cold for two days.

How to Save Undamaged Food Packages Exposed to Flood Water

Undamaged, commercially prepared foods in all-metal cans and "retort pouches" (like flexible, shelf-stable juice or seafood pouches) can be saved if you follow this procedure.

  1. Remove the labels, if they are the removable kind, since they can harbor dirt and bacteria.
  2. Brush or wipe away any dirt or silt.
  3. Thoroughly wash the cans or retort pouches with soap and water, using hot water if it is available.
  4. Rinse the cans or retort pouches with water that is safe for drinking, if available, since dirt or residual soap will reduce the effectiveness of chlorine sanitation.
  5. Sanitize cans and retort pouches by immersion in one of the two following ways:
    • Place in water and allow the water to come to a boil and continue boiling for 2 minutes.
    • Place in a solution of 1 cup (8 oz/250 mL) of unscented household (5.25% concentration) bleach mixed with 5 gallons of water and soak for 15 minutes.
  6. Air dry cans or retort pouches for a minimum of 1 hour before opening or storing.
  7. If the labels were removable, then re-label your cans or retort pouches, including the expiration date, with a permanent marking pen.

Food in reconditioned cans or retort pouches should be used as soon as possible thereafter.

Baby Formula Tip

For infants, try to use prepared, canned baby formula that requires no added water. Otherwise, dilute any concentrated baby formula in reconditioned, all-metal containers with clean drinking water.

Additional Information

Consejos importantes para los consumidores sobre la seguridad de los alimentos y el agua

Esté preparado

  • Tenga a mano cloro para uso en el hogar.
  • Almacene un abastecimiento de comida, agua y medicamentos en repisas altas que estén seguras en caso de inundaciones.
  • Sepa dónde puede conseguir hielo seco.
  • Tenga a la mano un abastecimiento de alimentos listos para comer por varios días que no necesiten ser cocinados ni refrigerados, lo cual necesita de la electricidad.
  • Sepa qué hacer en caso de un corte de electricidad.

Cuando ocurren inundaciones

Seguridad con el agua

  • Use agua embotellada que no haya estado expuesta a agua de inundaciones, si está disponible.
  • Si no hay disponible agua embotellada, hierva el agua por un minuto, deje que se enfríe y guárdela en recipientes limpios con tapa.
  • Si no hay agua embotellada disponible, y no es posible hervir agua, entonces puede hacer agua para tomar si añade 1/8 de cucharadita (u 8 gotas) de cloro regular sin olor de uso casero a 1 galón de agua. Mezcle bien y déjela reposar por 30 minutos antes de usarla. (Si el agua está turbia, use un paño limpio para filtrarla o permita que se asiente y retire el agua clara antes de añadir el cloro.)
  • No tome agua de un pozo que haya sido inundado a menos que se le hayan hecho pruebas al agua y se demuestre que es segura para tomar.

Cómo hervir o desinfectar el agua para su consumo seguro

Si el agua está turbia, fíltrela primero usando trapos limpios; o déjela reposar y luego extraiga el agua limpia para hervirla/ desinfectarla. Luego, siga uno de estos métodos:
Hervido:
Hervir el agua eliminará la mayoría de los tipos de organismos infecciosos que puedan estar presentes.

  1. Hierva el agua por 1 minuto.
  2. Deje que se enfríe, y almacénela en envases limpios y tapados.

Desinfección con lejía: La lejía eliminará algunos —no todos— los tipos de organismos infecciosos que puedan estar en el agua.

  1. Añada 1/8 de cucharita (u 8 gotas) de lejía clorada líquida sin perfumar por galón de agua.
  2. Remueva bien y deje en reposo por al menos 30 minutos antes de usarla.
  3. Almacene el agua desinfectada en envases limpios y tapados.

Seguridad de los alimentos

  • No coma ningún alimento que haya estado expuesto a aguas de inundaciones.
  • No coma alimentos de recipientes que no sean a prueba de agua ni de latas dañadas.
  • Puede consumir los alimentos de las latas que no estén dañadas, que haya lavado, enjuagado y desinfectado en una solución de 1 cucharada de cloro para uso casero en 1 galón de agua durante 15 minutos. Debe remover las etiquetas antes de limpiarlas, y debe etiquetar las latas nuevamente después de limpiarlas.
  • Lave, enjuague y desinfecte (usando una solución de 1 cucharada de cloro para uso casero en 1 galón de agua) todos los moldes de metal, platos de cerámica y utensilios (incluyendo los abrelatas), así como las superficies de la cocina.

Cómo rescatar los envases de alimentos no dañados expuestos al agua de una inundación

Los alimentos procesados comercialmente, y envasados en latas completamente metálicas y en envases blandos (como las bolsitas flexibles no refrigeradas de jugo, o las bolsas herméticas de pescados y mariscos) sin daños se pueden rescatar si se sigue este procedimiento:

  1. Quite las etiquetas, si son removibles, ya que pueden albergar suciedad o bacterias.
  2. Sacuda o limpie con un trapo la tierra o el lodo.
  3. Lave bien las latas o envases blandos con agua y jabón, usando agua caliente si es posible.
  4. Enjuague las latas o envases blandos con agua potable, si es posible, ya que la tierra o el jabón residual reducirán la efectividad de la desinfección con cloro.
  5. Desinfecte las latas y envases blandos de uno de estos modos:
    • Sumérjalos en agua, ponga el agua a hervir, y deje que hierva por 2 minutos.
    • Sumérjalos por 15 minutos en una solución recién hecha de 1 cucharada de lejía clorada líquida sin perfumar por galón de agua potable (o del agua más limpia y clara disponible).
  6. Deje que las latas o envases blandos se sequen al aire por un mínimo de 1 hora antes de abrirlos o almacenarlos.
  7. Si las etiquetas eran removibles, reetiquete sus latas o envases blandos escribiendo la fecha de caducidad (si es posible) con un marcador permanente.

Los alimentos en latas o envases blandos rescatados deben consumirse lo antes posible a partir de su desinfección.

Consejo sobre la fórmula para bebés - Intente usar fórmula para bebés preparada y enlatada que no requiera añadir agua. En caso contrario, cualquier fórmula para bebés concentrada que esté en envases completamente metálicos rescatados se debe diluir en agua potable limpia.

 

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