Food Safety Planning for Ivan

With Hurricane Ivan projected to sweep across Alabama within the next several days, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System food scientist says there are some essential steps residents should take to ensure the safety of their food in the storm’s aftermath.

First, assume that all water resources will be contaminated in the storm’s wake. The most inexpensive way to do that is to set aside a three- or four-day supply of tap water. Bottled water is another option. This supply should include water for drinking and for a number of other purposes --- cooking, bathing, and cleaning eating utensils and kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

Setting aside enough water is especially important for people living in rural areas who depend on electric pumps to draw their water out of private wells, according to Dr. Jean Weese, Extension food scientist and Auburn University professor of nutrition and food science.

On the other hand, everyone should take steps to ensure refrigerated food remains at adequate temperatures during and after the storm.

“Several types of thermometers need to be kept in the kitchen, especially a refrigerator/freezer thermometer, which should be kept in the refrigerator to assure food is maintained below 40 degrees F,” Weese says. “One also should be placed in the freezer to assure food is kept below 0 degrees F.”

Weese also recommends other safeguards.

“If you have freezer, for example, keep it stocked as full as you can and, if possible, pack it with extra ice,” she says.

Frozen foods can stay frozen for as long as 3 to 4 days, “but only as long as the freezer is not opened,” Weese says.

“If you open it a lot, it will take down the temperature, so leave it closed,” she advises.

The same holds true for foods in the refrigerator.

Depend on nonperishable foods to tide you over after the storm. Good bets include raw fruits and vegetables and, even better from the standpoint of durability, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

“The taste may get old after a few days, but it is something that you can eat for a long time, if you need to,” Weese says.

Beef jerky and canned meat, chicken and tuna are also generally safe bets, she says.

Mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard even can be used.

“Bacteria aren’t going to grow in these products, and that’s why they’re generally safe bets,” Weese says.

Orange juice is another product that will last for a while, though it’s likely to ferment.

Milk, on the other hand, goes bad quickly.

Food safety issues are especially critical concerns following flooding, because flood waters may carry all sorts of contaminated substances such as silt, raw sewage, oil and chemical waste.

The only food items that even should be considered salvageable following flooding are canned foods but only if they have not been dented or punctured, Weese says.

To prevent floodwaters from coming into contact with food, she advises placing cement blocks under the corners of refrigerators and freezers. Food also should be removed from lower compartments. Finally, canned foods and other foods stored in basements should be moved to a level above flood waters, if possible.

For more information about food and water safety following power outages, read “Food and Water Safety When the Power Goes Out,” which is available on the Alabama Cooperative Extension System Web site at http:// www.aces.edu.

Posted by Jim Langcuster at September 13, 2004 03:45 PM | TrackBack