Keeping food safe in an emergency

CORNWALL — Staying safe and maintaining a backup power supply are priorities in a prolonged emergency situation.

So is eating.

Most of us keep days, if not weeks or more worth of non-perishable food on hand, along with meat and other perishables in one or more freezers. But it can all quickly become a useless, and even dangerous supply if not stored and monitored correctly.

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) handout at a Feb. 11 emergency forum at Town Hall offered important guidelines for food and water safety. The forum was held in the morning and was open to the public.

Safe to eat?

The two major storms that hit last year —  Irene in August and  Alfred in October — illustrated the differences between losing power in very different weather conditions.

Keeping warm was not an issue in the summer, but keeping food cold was. Plenty of snow and cold in October kept us in water and offered ways to preserve food, but trying to stay warm ranged from difficult to deadly.

In all cases, when it comes to food supply the key to planning is to be ready for the possibility that it won’t be possible to get to a store; that the store itself hasn’t had deliveries of essentials; and that both the cold cases at the store and the refrigerator and stove at your home will be useless in a power outage.  

Be prepared with nonperishable and canned food, a manual can opener, food that can be eaten cold and a way to heat food other than the microwave oven.

Install thermometers in refrigerators and freezers. Food is safe if maintained at a maximum of 40 degrees (refrigerators) and 0 degrees (freezers).

Freeze containers of water and use them to keep food cold longer; you can also thaw them for drinking water if needed. Put some refrigerated items in the freezer for later use, and keep it as packed as possible. Keep doors closed as much as possible. Buy block ice or dry ice.

A full freezer will keep food safely frozen for 48 hours if not opened; a refrigerator will only keep food at a safe temperature for four hours.

Throw away meat, fish and eggs that have been stored above 40 degrees for more than two hours. Thoroughly cook anything that you think might still be safe. Frozen food that still contains ice crystals can be refrozen.

Not waterproof

Flooding isn’t the first thing we think of as a potential emergency event. But it certainly does happen and has happened here in Litchfield County on a grand scale.

A safe drinking water supply is a primary concern. Flood waters are filled with disease-carrying contaminants. In a flood, town-supplied water may not be available, and a well pump will not function if there is no power. Laying in a supply may seem easy, but keep in mind that  containers with factory-sealed screw caps, snap lids, pull tops and crimped caps are not waterproof. Any that come in contact with flood water should be discarded.

If bottled water that has not been exposed to flood water is not available, boiling water for one minute is usually sufficient to destroy most harmful bacteria. Second best is adding 1/8 teaspoon of unscented household bleach to each gallon of water. Stir well and let it stand for at least 30 minutes. Store in covered containers.

A well that may have been contaminated needs to be tested, and treated if needed, before use.

Preserved foods

Food not in commercially sealed containers, in cardboard or in plastic bags should be thrown out.

Inspect cans for damage indicated by swelling, leakage, punctures, cracks, deep rusting or dents severe enough to prevent stacking or opening with a manual can opener.

Store instead commercially prepared foods — no home canned foods — in all-metal cans and “retort pouches,” which are the flexible, shelf-stable prepared food containers used for things such as juice and seafood.

Before opening the containers, follow prescribed sanitation procedures.

• Remove labels. They cannot be thoroughly sanitized.

• Brush away dirt or silt.

• Wash in soap and water, hot if available.

• Rinse with safe drinking water, thoroughly, as residual dirt and soap will reduce the effectiveness of sanitation.

• Sanitize by immersion in either boiling water, for two minutes, or a fresh solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented bleach per gallon of potable water or the cleanest, clearest water available for 15 minutes.

• Air dry for at least an hour before opening or storing.

• Use a marking pen to re-label.

Follow the same sanitizing process for metal pans, ceramic dishes and utensils, as well as countertops and other surfaces that will come in contact with food, containers or dishes.

The FDA recommends taking extra precautions with baby food and formula. Use only what was stored in all-metal, undamaged cans. Use only clean drinking water for diluting or reconstituting formula.

These tips can be a springboard for planning.

Around here, getting out to buy dry or block ice is a two-fold problem. It’s not available close by and we are often met with “getting out” obstacles such as flooding, downed trees and icy or snow-covered roads.

What many rural homes have is space. In the winter, a yard, garage, shed, barn or other unheated space would serve as storage for containers of ice. Fill milk jugs (allow room for expansion) or other unbreakable containers that will fit in the freezer. As they thaw, use  them for drinking.

Turn the thermostats down on refrigerators and freezers in advance if the power is likely to go out.

Be sure to have safe places to store food outside in the cold. Even frozen food can attract wild animals.

An emergency food and water supply is best kept as high up as possible. The go-to spot is the basement, but attics are the best out-of-the-way place. Basements will be the first to flood and the inherent dampness will cause metal cans to rust.

When generators fail

Some things are not about safety, but still matter.

Keep in mind that even with a generator, you may not have power. As those attending the forum found out, there are numerous ways a generator can fail, from lack of maintenance to old fuel, or an inadequate supply of fuel.

Prolonged outages will be the times when that crank radio and canned food — and the manual can opener — could become vital.

If the weather is warm, be prepared to throw away perishable food that will quickly become unsafe to eat or refreeze. The loss is not worth the potential illness. Most homeowner insurance policies will pay claims for ruined food, typically offering $250 per appliance. There are also federal programs that will pay claims for losses in mass emergencies.

More on the forum next week.