A: Assess all food to decide what to keep or throw away. Do not eat any food that may have come into

 

A: Yes, but precautions must be taken to protect food contact surfaces from contaminating your food.

When cleaning or disinfecting, wear protective clothing, such as gloves, to avoid skin contact, irritation,

or infection. It is important to discard wooden cutting boards, wooden dishes and utensils, plastic

utensils, baby bottle nipples, and pacifiers that have come into contact with flood water. These items

cannot be safely cleaned. Thoroughly wash metal pans, ceramic dishes, and utensils (including can

openers) with soap and water, using hot water if available. Rinse, and then sanitize them by boiling in

clean water or immersing them for 15 min. in a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine

bleach per gallon of drinking water (or the cleanest, clearest water available). If using a dishwasher, run

the dishwasher empty through three complete cycles to flush the water lines and assure that they are

cleaned internally before washing equipment and utensils in it.

Thoroughly wash countertops with soap and water, using hot water if available. Rinse, and then sanitize

by applying a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water

(or the cleanest, clearest water available). Allow to air dry. Make sure to carefully clean corners, cracks

and crevices, door handles, and door seals, in rooms that have been affected by flood water.

 

A: Perishable food such as meat, poultry, seafood, milk, and eggs that are not kept adequately refrigerated

or frozen may cause illness if consumed, even when they are thoroughly cooked. If the power in a

refrigerator goes out, keep the 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 (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains

closed. Buy dry or block ice to keep the refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for

a prolonged period of time.

Once the power is on, determine the safety of your food. Check each package of food to determine its

safety. You can’t rely on appearance or odor. If the food still contains ice crystals or is 40° F or below, it

is safe to refreeze or cook. Refrigerated food should be safe as long as the power was out for no more

than 4 hours. Keep the door closed as much as possible. Discard any perishable food (such as meat,

poultry, fish, eggs or leftovers) that has been above 40° F for two hours or more.

Any food touched by flood water must be discarded.

 

A: Hurricanes and flooding can contaminate the public water supply. Water may not be safe to drink.

Pay attention to the radio, TV, or other news outlets for information on your local water supply.

Announcements should give you updated information and let you know if you need to boil your water to

make it safe to drink. Otherwise, use bottled water until your tap water is safe to use and drink.

 

For more information on food disaster planning and other topics, go to the NJ Department of Health and

Senior Services, Food and Drug Safety Program website at:

http://www.state.nj.us/health/foodanddrugsafety/consumer.shtml or call 609-826-4935.