The Five Biggest Post-hurricane Food Safety Tips
While the words “hurricane preparation” may call to mind images of boarded-up windows and stacked sandbags, it is just as critical to consider post-storm food safety. Hurricanes can complicate food storage as the storm’s winds and waters knock out power, flood kitchens and prevent quick access to grocery stores.
Practicing post-storm food safety can help prevent foodborne illness and even contribute to saving lives in a hurricane’s destructive aftermath. Here are the five biggest food safety tips to keep your family and workforce safe following tropical storms.
Tip 1: Learn Fridge and Freezer Power Outage Guidelines
As hurricanes pass through, their strong winds can knock down power lines and shut off electricity to properties, sometimes for days at a time. The outage can impact your cold storage and temperature regulation, so it’s important to understand refrigerator and freezer time limit guidelines if the power is cut.
As a general rule, when the appliance doors are closed, food in the refrigerator can last safely for up to four hours. Food in the freezer can last up to 48 hours if it is full and 24 hours if it is half full. Keeping the doors closed as much as possible during an electrical outage can help the contents inside remain at a safe temperature.
After four hours, if the power is still out, consider moving contents from the fridge to coolers with ice packs to help extend the refrigeration. Stock your freezer with containers of water and ice packs to help keep food cold. The frozen water can also be thawed at a later time and used for drinking if it was properly stored and sealed.
Tip 2: Check Temperatures with a Thermometer
Make informed decisions during a power outage by using thermometers. Place thermometers in the freezer and the fridge so you can verify the storage temperatures even after the appliance itself is no longer functioning.
Additionally, keep a food thermometer on hand. You can take the temperature of perishable foods that have been stored in the refrigerator or freezer to help ensure food safety. Without a thermometer on hand, you can still verify if frozen items are safe to consume by checking for the presence of ice crystals.
Tip 3: Throw Out Unsafe Foods
Don’t be afraid to discard food that is questionable or that has remained above temperature for too long. Relying on food appearance alone may not be enough to determine its safety. Reference this guide from the United States Department of Agriculture for an overview of which foods should be tossed following power outages.
Be especially cautious with raw meat, dairy products, cooked rice and pasta, eggs and cut produce. Consuming perishable foods that have spoiled can introduce harmful pathogens to your body and cause severe illness.
Tip 4: Follow Water Safety Instructions From Officials
Hurricanes can affect the cleanliness of drinking water by contaminating groundwater, impacting water treatment plants and causing wastewater facilities to become inoperable following the storm. To stay safe with tap water, follow guidance from local officials on how to proceed, such as boiling water when directed.
Additionally, stock up on bottled water before the storm to ensure you have enough safe hydration on hand for every person to have at least one gallon of water a day. You can also use previously collected water from before the storm if it was properly stored and sealed in sanitized containers.
Tip 5: Take Caution With Floodwaters
Floodwater that intrudes into your home or business can be contaminated with dangerous bacteria, chemicals or waste. If your property is impacted by floodwater, take extra food safety precautions to ensure you don’t endanger yourself or others.
Before the storm, move food, drinks and dishes to a higher location where floodwaters are less likely to reach. If the water does touch food, throw it out, including food and drinks in containers that are not fully waterproof, such as crimped caps on sodas or lids that snap on. Consumables in cardboard boxes and even home-canned goods should also be thrown away if they come in contact with floodwaters.
Pots, pans, dishes and utensils that have come in contact with floodwaters will need to be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before use. You can sanitize these items by boiling them in water or soaking them in a bleach-based solution (one tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water, according to the USDA) for 15 minutes.
Expert Food Safety You Can Trust
After a hurricane, navigating food safety can be a challenge. If your crews, students or workforces need sustaining, safe meals post-hurricane, an experienced caterer can serve trusted meals and allow you to resume operations while staying healthy.
Cotton Culinary, with years of experience in disaster response, is ready to respond to your catering needs following emergencies and catastrophes. Our expert crews prioritize disaster catering hygiene and can deliver customized catering options wherever our services are needed. Take the worry out of food safety with our culinary artists who are ready to serve you with integrity and quality.
This hurricane season, prioritize safety with your food preparation, whether at home or for your workforce. For comprehensive disaster catering you can trust, contact Cotton Culinary online or call at 877-900-2986 for dependable emergency meal handling.
