The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has urged people to take immediate steps to ensure their food is kept safe as Hurricane Sandy approaches.
Power outages and flooding that often result from weather emergencies compromise the safety of stored food, and planning ahead can minimize the risk of foodborne illness, said USDA.
The agency’s advice includes storing food on shelves that will be safely out of the way of contaminated water in case of flooding, group food together in the freezer — this helps the food stay cold longer and freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers that you may not need immediately — this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer.
"Keeping food at safe storage temperatures in a power outage and away from flood waters is crucial to avoiding foodborne illness in weather emergencies," said Dr Elisabeth Hagen, USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety.
"We encourage residents in the projected path of the storm to include an appliance thermometer, coolers, and dry ice on their Hurricane Sandy preparation checklists."
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