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Senior Citizen Alert
FDA Offers Safety Tips
for Protecting Food During Power Outages, Flooding
September 5, 2006 – With
hurricanes again threatening, the Food and Drug Administration is
alerting consumers to the food risks that can occur from power outages
and flooding. The agency has also included a list of suggested safety steps,
which are important to senior citizens in particular, since many older
people are among the least able to evacuate their homes.
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"Foods that are
inadequately refrigerated during storm-related power outages, and foods
or bottled water contaminated by flood waters, present a potential
health risk to consumers," said Robert E. Brackett, Ph.D., Director of
FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "Consumers may want
to look up FDA's advice on how to confront such risks, which is
available on the FDA website."
Following are some of
the key safety steps recommended by the FDA.
In advance of
storm-related power outages and flooding:
>
Make or purchase ice to
keep food cold in refrigerators and freezers in case of a power outage.
>
Freeze refrigerated items
such as leftovers, milk, fresh meat and poultry that you may not need
immediately.
>
Have coolers on hand to
keep refrigerated food cold if the power will be out for more than 4
hours. Have ice or gel packs ready for use in coolers.
>
Keep
a supply of bottled water stored where it will be safe from flooding.
>
Purchase an appliance
thermometer to monitor refrigerator and freezer temperatures. Make sure
your freezer is at or below 0ºF and the refrigerator is at or below
40ºF.
In the event of a
power outage:
>
Keep refrigerator and
freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold
temperature. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if
it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for
approximately 48 hours, and a half-full freezer will keep the
temperature for approximately 24 hours, if the door remains closed.
>
Buy dry or block ice to
keep refrigerators as cold as possible during prolonged power outages.
Fifty pounds of dry ice will keep an 18-cubic foot, fully-stocked
freezer cold for two days, or a half-stocked freezer of the same size
cold for one day.
>
Throw out meat, poultry,
seafood, milk and eggs that are at room temperature for more than two
hours.
If flooding occurs:
>
Do not eat any food that
may have come in contact with flood water.
>
Use bottled drinking water
that has not come in contact with flood water.
>
Boil tap water to kill
most types of disease-causing organisms that may be present. Filter
cloudy tap water through clean cloths, or allow it to settle and draw
off the clear water for boiling. Boil the water for one minute, let it
cool, and store it in clean containers with covers.
>
If you cannot boil water,
disinfect it by adding 1/8 teaspoon (8 drops) of bleach per gallon of
water, stir, and let stand for 30 minutes before use. Use only regular,
unscented liquid household bleach. Store disinfected water in clean
containers with covers.
>
Discard food that is not
in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come in
contact with flood water. Food containers that are not waterproof
include those with screw-caps, snap-lids, pull-tops and crimped caps.
>
For powdered or
concentrated infant formula, use bottled water or tap water boiled as
directed above in areas where local water supplies have been
contaminated by flood waters.
>> For more information go to
www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fsdisas.html
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