How to Protect Your Food Supply During Power Disruptions

Our perishable foods make up a majority of our grocery bills each month. Therefore, we want to protect as much as possible. When an emergency comes and disrupts our power sources, that investment of perishable food is threatened.

Food safety is vital at all times

We want to ensure that our food is safe for consumption. That said, if our food becomes contaminated in some way due to temperature fluctuations, cross-contamination or improper handling, food-borne illnesses can occur and symptoms have the possibility of becoming severe. Moreover, due to the delayed response from overwhelmed emergency medical teams, food poisoning could actually become fatal.

After a disaster wrecks havoc, the clean up time begins. You immediately want to check your food source to ensure it is safe to eat. The USDA and the CDC have provided some guidelines to food safety after a disaster.

In this specific incident, the risk is not only from the power outage, but in many areas people also face the risk of contamination from flood waters.

So how long will your food last when the electricity goes out? Refrigerated food will stay cold for 4-6 hours assuming the door is left closed as much as possible.  After that time, many of the items in your refrigerator should be discarded.  This chart from the USDA offers guidelines. In a fully stocked freezer, frozen foods will remain safely frozen for approximately two day.

Some other helpful hints for protecting your food investment are:

• Items from the freezer that thaw can be cooked and then refrozen safely or canned.
• Covering the fridge or freezer with blankets can help keep the temperature colder for longer.
• Food containers with screw-caps, snap-lids, crimped caps (soda pop bottles), twist caps, flip tops, snap-open, and home canned foods should be discarded if they have come into contact with floodwater because they cannot be disinfected.
• If cans have come in contact with floodwater or storm water, remove the labels, wash the cans, and dip them in a solution of 1 cup (8 oz./250 mL) of bleach in 5 gallons of water. Re-label the cans with a marker. Include the expiration date.
• Never use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash and prepare food, wash your hands, make ice, or make baby formula.
• If you have any doubt as to whether a food is safe or spoiled, throw it out – it’s not worth the risk.

Sanitation during Disasters Can Be a Nightmare

Another challenge during a disaster is basic sanitation. You will need to have clean hands, clean cookware, clean food prep areas and clean dishes and utensils. By planning ahead you can have many things in place that will allow you to do this more simply and efficiently. In a short-term disaster, disposable items are incredibly useful, partly because you don’t have to use valuable clean water for washing them.

• Paper plates
• Disposable cups
• Plastic utensils
• Paper towels
• Baby wipes
• Disinfecting wipes
• Aluminum foil to cover cookware and cooking surfaces
• Garbage bags

Following many natural disasters, local water supplies and garbage pickup services tend to be delayed. Adding a simple sanitation kit to your emergency supplies can make a huge difference in terms of keeping your family safe. Additionally, learning how to properly dispose of waste not only promotes good hygiene, but also minimizes sanitation-related illnesses.

Even if you don’t have running water, clean your hands carefully with baby wipes and/or antibacterial hand sanitizer after using the restroom, changing diapers or dealing with garbage.

Take care not to cause cross-contamination when preparing food. Surfaces that have been in contact with raw meat must be immediately cleaned and sanitized before other food is prepared there.  After touching raw meat, be sure to wash your hands to avoid contaminating other surfaces.

In a longer-term emergency, cleaning supplies may begin to run low. Many cleaning supplies can be made with everyday household items.  Be certain to stock a big supply of basics like white vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.

Citrus Cleaner

• Peel from any citrus fruit
• 1 quart of white vinegar

Instructions:

Add the peel to vinegar and place in a closed container for two weeks.  Mix half and half with water in a spray bottle and use for cleaning floors, tiles, fixtures, kitchen surfaces and bathroom surfaces.

Soft Scrubbing Cleanser

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 4 tbsp. white vinegar
• 1-2 tbsp. liquid dish detergent
• ½ tsp. fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients and make into a paste.
2. Store in a small container.

Glass Cleaner

•  1 c. rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
• 1 c. water
• 1 tbsp. of non-sudsing ammonia (clear ammonia)

Instructions:

Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well and apply to glass surfaces, then wipe dry.

 Homemade Spray Cleaner

• 1 c. white vinegar
• 1 c. water

Instructions:

Shake well and apply.  Use on kitchen counter tops, toilets, bathrooms, bathtubs.

Produce Wash

To remove toxic pesticides from produce, use the following method:

• 2 cups of white vinegar
• 1 cup of baking soda
• Big squirt of all natural dish soap

Instructions:

Add the above ingredients to the sink and then fill it with hot water.

1. Allow your produce to soak in the solution for about 20 minutes.  You may see a white film rise to the top – this is pesticide being lifted from the produce.  (Note: if your produce is something that will wilt, like lettuce, use cold water for this process.)
2. Drain the sink and rinse your produce well under running water, if possible.
3. Take a clean cloth and scrub the outside of the fruit of vegetables.  If you can still see a film on them, clean out your sink with vinegar and repeat the process.

To conclude, when emergencies occur, they can disrupt the power supply long enough to threaten our perishable food investment and cause illness. Although a non-refrigerated food supply for emergency purposes is strongly advocated, we will want to find ways to save our perishable goods. Using the suggestions and tips provided will help you preserve and protect your perishable food sources and maintain sanitation during times of power disruptions.