Floods and prolonged power outages after hurricanes can jeopardize the safety of your food. It’s important to take the proper steps to evaluate and discard certain foods and utensils after these events.
To stay safe, be sure to follow these tips:
Never taste a food to determine its safety
If your power has been out for several days, please throw away any food in your refrigerator and freezer. Reference our chart of what is safe or should be discarded after a prolonged power outage
Drink only bottled water or other beverages that have not been in contact with flood water. Screw caps are not waterproof, so discard any bottled water or other beverages that may have come in contact with flood water. If you don’t have bottled water, learn how to safely boil or disinfect water.
Discard any food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance it may have been in contact with flood water. Containers with screw caps, snap lids, pull tops and crimped caps are not waterproof.
Undamaged, commercially prepared foods in all-metal cans and retort pouches such as flexible, shelf-stable juice or seafood pouches, can be saved by following the steps in the FSIS Consumer’s Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes.
Thoroughly wash all metal pans, utensils and ceramic dishes that came in contact with flood water with hot soapy water. Rinse, then sanitize, by boiling them in clean water or by immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of one of tablespoon unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water.
Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers that may have come in contact with flood water. These items cannot be saved after contact with flood water.
For questions about food safety, call the Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854, Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT (English or Spanish), email MPHotline@usda.gov or live chat at Ask USDA.
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