Alert Issued: Potential Health Risks from Consuming Polluted Food Due to Flooding Accidents
In the event of a flood, it's essential to prioritise food safety to protect your health and wellbeing. Here are some guidelines from public health authorities in Kentucky to help you navigate through this challenging time.
Firstly, refrigerated foods should be discarded if the power was out for more than four hours. This includes fresh produce, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, open containers and packages, food in cardboard boxes, paper, or plastic wrap, and home-canned goods.
However, freezer items may still be safe if they still contain ice crystals or remained below 40°F. It's crucial to check the temperature of your freezer using a food thermometer to ensure its safety.
When it comes to kitchen surfaces, they should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized with a bleach solution before use. Disinfecting surfaces should allow the surface to remain wet for at least one minute before rinsing with clean water.
Floodwater often carries bacteria, chemicals, and other pollutants that can render food unsafe to eat. Louisville Metro Health and Wellness advises that any food or food packaging that has come into contact with floodwater should be thrown away. This includes wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples, and pacifiers.
Even if items are sealed, like jars or cans with screw caps, corks, or snap lids, they are not considered safe if they've been submerged or even splashed by floodwater. If you find canned foods that have been affected, remove labels, wash in hot, soapy water, sanitize in bleach solution, and re-label with an expiration date.
Canned foods with sealed, undamaged metal lids may be safe after proper sanitization. However, it's better to err on the side of caution and dispose of questionable items. One of the biggest health risks during the clean-up process after a flood is contaminated food.
If you have any questions or concerns about food safety during flooding, you can contact the Kentucky Department for Public Health or your local county health department. Public health officials warn that floods can turn homes into hazardous environments, so always prioritize safety over salvaging when dealing with flood-contaminated food.
Stay safe and healthy during this difficult time.
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