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Food Safety: Flooding and Power Outages
Please follow this advice to avoid becoming ill from food involved in flooding and power outages.
If Flooding Occurs:
- Drink only bottled water that has not come in contact with flood waters;
- Discard all food that has contact with flood waters, including canned goods;
- Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers that may be contaminated;
- Thoroughly WASH all metal pans, ceramic dishes and metal utensils that come in contact with flood water with hot soapy water and sanitize by boiling them in clean water or by immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach per quart of water.
During Power Outages
- Never taste a food to determine its safety;
- Get block ice or dry ice to keep your refrigerator or freezer as cold as possible if power is going to be out for an extended period of time;
- Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers and deli items after four hours without power;
- If the food in your freezer still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below, then the food is safe to cook and eat, or refreeze.
When in doubt, throw it out!
For specific concerns about food safety, call the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) Food Protection Section at 603-271-4589 or email foodprotection@dhhs.state.nh.us.
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