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A Food Safety News report published Oct. 9 outlines steps for dealing with food and utensils after hurricane-related flooding and power outages. It advises discarding items that may have touched floodwater, avoiding food from refrigerators or freezers after several days without power, and cleaning or discarding kitchenware according to material and exposure.
Food Safety News published recovery guidance on Oct. 9 urging people affected by hurricanes to discard food and beverages that may have contacted floodwater and to take extra precautions after prolonged power outages. The report also explains which kitchen items may be cleaned and sanitized and which should be discarded.
The report says never taste food to judge whether it is safe. If power has been out for several days, it advises throwing away food in the refrigerator and freezer. The article refers readers to a food-safety chart for assessing items after an outage; the supplied report does not include the chart’s individual time or temperature thresholds.
For drinking, use bottled water or other beverages that have not contacted floodwater. Food Safety News warns that screw caps are not waterproof and says to discard bottled drinks that may have been exposed. Where bottled water is unavailable, it directs readers to official instructions for safely boiling or disinfecting water.
Discard food that is not in a waterproof container if it may have touched floodwater. The report lists screw-cap, snap-lid, pull-top and crimped-cap containers as non-waterproof. Undamaged commercially prepared food in all-metal cans or retort pouches may be saved by following the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service guidance for severe storms and hurricanes.
Metal pans, utensils and ceramic dishes exposed to floodwater should be washed thoroughly with hot, soapy water, rinsed and sanitized, the report says. It describes sanitizing by boiling in clean water or soaking for 15 minutes in a mixture of one tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water. Wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers that may have contacted floodwater should be discarded.
Reducing Food Risks After Flooding
Hurricane recovery can leave households without reliable electricity or clean water while food and kitchen equipment may have been exposed to contaminated floodwater. Following the guidance can help people avoid eating or drinking items whose safety cannot be established by appearance or taste, and reduce the chance of reusing contaminated items.
The advice also distinguishes between items that may be salvaged and those the report says to discard. That distinction matters when supplies are limited, but the guidance does not make every item safe to keep: consumers are directed to discard potentially exposed food in non-waterproof packaging and to follow USDA instructions for eligible canned or pouched products.
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Power Loss and Flood Exposure
The report is a practical recovery guide rather than a notice about a specific hurricane, contaminated product or outbreak. It focuses on two common hazards identified in its guidance: extended loss of refrigeration and contact with floodwater.
Food Safety News points readers to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service’s Consumer’s Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes for more detail on saving certain commercially packaged foods. It also lists the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, email and Ask USDA live chat as ways to seek food-safety help.
“Never taste a food to determine its safety.”
— Food Safety News
Exposure and Outage Details Matter
The supplied report does not identify a particular storm or provide case-specific information about affected communities, outage duration or local water conditions. It also does not reproduce the referenced chart or spell out all product-by-product time limits for refrigerator and freezer foods. People should consult current local public-health instructions and the linked USDA storm guidance for details relevant to their circumstances.
Whether a particular item contacted floodwater may not always be obvious. The report advises discarding food and drinks when there is a chance of exposure if their containers are not waterproof; it does not provide a method for testing whether an item has been contaminated.
Where to Get Food-Safety Help
People seeking further guidance can consult the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service’s storm and hurricane guide. Food Safety News lists the Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854, available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time in English or Spanish. Questions can also be sent to MPHotline@usda.gov or submitted through Ask USDA live chat.
Consumers should follow local public-health directions as recovery continues, particularly for drinking water. The report does not announce a later update or a specific next milestone.
Key Questions
Should I taste food to see if it is safe after a hurricane?
No. Food Safety News says never to taste food to determine whether it is safe.
What should I do with refrigerated or frozen food after several days without power?
The report advises throwing away food in the refrigerator and freezer if power has been out for several days. It points readers to a USDA-related food-safety chart for further guidance; the supplied report does not include specific time and temperature thresholds.
Can food in cans or shelf-stable pouches be kept after flooding?
The report says undamaged, commercially prepared food in all-metal cans or retort pouches may be saved by following the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service’s severe-storm guidance. It advises discarding food in non-waterproof packaging if it may have contacted floodwater.
How should kitchen items exposed to floodwater be handled?
Wash metal pans, utensils and ceramic dishes with hot, soapy water, rinse them and sanitize them as directed. Discard potentially exposed wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers.
Where can I ask questions about food safety after a storm?
The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is 1-888-674-6854, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time, in English or Spanish. The report also lists MPHotline@usda.gov and Ask USDA live chat.
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