Safe food
 |
During and right after a disaster, people need to maintain their strength. Officials recommend the following:
Eat at least one well-balanced meal each day.
Take in enough calories to enable you to do any necessary work.
Include vitamin, mineral and protein supplements in your stockpile to assure adequate nutrition.
Keep food in covered containers.
Keep cooking and eating utensils clean.
Keep garbage in closed containers.
Keep hands clean by washing with soap and water that has been purified.
Use only pre-prepared canned baby formula for infants.
Discard any food that has come into contact with floodwater.
Discard any food that has been at room temperature for two hours or more.
Discard any food that has an unusual odor, color or texture.
Practice the rule, when in doubt, throw it out.
If the electricity goes out
First, use perishable food and foods from the refrigerator. If possible, fill an ice chest with ice before the storm. Place as many perishable items in the ice chest as possible. This will help reduce the number of times the refrigerator door has to be opened and preserve the food inside longer. In general food inside the refrigerator can stay safe to use for about four hours. Food in the ice chest should stay safe as long as there is ice and the food remains cold.
Next, use the food from the freezer. To minimize the number of times the freezer door is opened, post a list of freezer contents outside. In a well-filled, well-insulated freezer, foods will usually stay safe to eat for at least three days.
Cooking with no electricity
For emergency cooking, a fireplace is a good choice.
A propane grill, charcoal grill or camp stove can be used outdoors. Never use charcoal, Sterno or propane grill inside as they can give off harmful levels of carbon monoxide.
Food can be heated with candle warmers, chafing dishes and fondue pots
Canned food can be eaten right out of the can. First wash the outside of the can with purified or disinfected water, open the can and remove the label.
|
Copyright © Tampa Bay Newspapers: All rights reserved. |
