Food Safety Tips: After A Power Outage

I know many residents along the East Coast are dealing with widespread power outages after Hurricane Irene passed over them this weekend. After experiencing many power outages myself, I have realized that something I often don't think about, sometimes even after the power has come back on, is making sure that the food in my refrigerator and freezer is still safe to eat.
 
I found some great tips from the USDA that might be helpful for those of you who are still waiting for the power to come back on. They are also great things for everyone to keep in mind since a power outage can happen anywhere at any time.

Steps to follow after a weather emergency:
• Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
• The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) and the door remains closed.
• Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers and deli items after 4 hours without power.
• Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40ºF or below when checked with a food thermometer.
• Never taste food to determine its safety!
• Obtain dry or block ice to keep your refrigerator and freezer as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic-foot full freezer for 2 days.
• If the power has been out for several days, check the temperature of the freezer with an appliance thermometer. If the appliance thermometer reads 40ºF or below, the food is safe to refreeze.
• If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, check each package of food to determine its safety. If the food still contains ice crystals, the food is safe.
• Discard any food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come into contact with flood water. Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers.
• Thoroughly wash all metal pans, ceramic dishes and utensils that came 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 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water.
• Undamaged, commercially prepared foods in all-metal cans and retort pouches (for example, flexible, shelf-stable juice or seafood pouches) can be saved. Find more instructions here for saving all-metal cans and retort pouches.
• Use bottled water that has not been exposed to flood waters. If bottled water is not available, tap water can be boiled for safety.

When in Doubt, Throw it Out!

Preparing for a Hurricane - Guest Post

Hurricane season is a great time for everyone to check on their emergency supplies. Even if you don't live in an area that is prone to hurricanes, there is no telling how the weather associated with a hurricane could impact your life. This article from accuweather.com points out that while the hurricane will likely hit the Southeastern United States, there is a potential for widespread flash flooding all along the Atlantic seaboard.

Since we are in the midst of hurricane season and Hurricane Irene is poised to hit the Southeastern United States by the end of the week, I thought the five tips that one of our readers had to share would be particularly helpful and could serve as a great reminder for any of you that live in the path of Hurricane Irene. 

Preparing for a Hurricane

Preparing for a natural disaster two and a half years ago, I found myself experiencing my first hurricane with four young children, one of them only 3 weeks old. This gave me an opportunity to really see if we had prepared adequately. One thing you don’t realize before a disaster like this strikes, is how quickly the things you take for granted can be taken away. Here are some lessons I learned from Hurricane Ike which could be applied to many natural disasters:

1. Prepare as much as you can now. You will be surprised how hard it is to get things like gasoline and groceries when a disaster is coming or has hit. Preparation can save you a lot of time waiting in lines with people who are stressed and hurried. Make a plan and take steps to prepare your family. Before the hurricane hit, I waited in line with my infant to buy gas. The credit machines were not functioning properly. Having cash on hand in small bills saved time and stress. (Not needing gas in the first place would have been even better!) People were flocking to the stores to buy bread, water, and food that could be easily heated and eaten. After the storm, stores had less employees working and people had to wait in line to have a turn to go in. The frozen food section was blocked off with caution tape, and the convenience foods had still not been replenished. Have ample food stored ahead of time and be sure it is food you are comfortable preparing and like to eat.

2. Have a way to heat your food. Sure, you can eat it straight from the can, but your family is already under stress, and it is so much nicer if you can make things as close to normal as possible. Having a way to prepare simple foods, such as a camp stove, gas stove (if your gas hasn’t been turned off), solar oven, or other method of cooking will be invaluable.

3. Water storage is a must. After the hurricane, the quality of the water was not yet determined to be completely safe. But since we had water storage, I could make bottles for my infant without concern.

4. Have some forms of entertainment that don’t need to be plugged in. A loss of electrical power will be just plain boring and stressful if you don’t have some means of keeping yourself, and your children, entertained while you wait for things to get back to normal, especially if your husband is gone helping with the clean up efforts. Having games, coloring books, and means of occupying your children that don’t require electricity will go a long way to help everyone stay happy – and you may even find that you enjoy the break from other distractions.

5. Have medications on hand. This is an obvious one, but very important. A disaster is not the time to be attempting to contact your doctor or pharmacist. Have extra medications, as well as medicine for general ailments, stored safely away from where children can reach them, and have enough to get you through at least a few days to a week.

The approaching hurricane season is a good time to take an inventory and see how prepared you are for any dangerous weather that may come your way. Any steps you can take beforehand, any amount of time and money you can afford to spend now, will be well spent.

-- Coleen, TX

If you have any other tips that you have learned through dealing with hurricanes, please leave them in the comments section! We would love to hear from everyone who has experienced a hurricane of any size. 

Do you have a preparedness or food storage experience, tip, recipe, product review, etc.? Become a guest blogger on Preparedness Pantry and earn a $20 Emergency Essentials gift card! Click here for details.

Preparing for an Emergency: Healthy Diet

Food storage, 72-hour kits, and water storage are all important parts of emergency preparedness. As I've been thinking more about my emergency preparedness, I've realized that when faced with a disaster, having a positive attitude and a healthy body could be just as important as the physical things I have stored.

One way I've been trying to keep my body healthy and prepared for an emergency is modifying my eating habits and choosing more healthy foods for meals and snacks.

According to the new guidelines from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the most important thing when trying to eat healthily is to make sure your calories are balanced. You can still eat foods that you enjoy, you just need to make sure you eat more of your favorite healthy foods and less of your favorite unhealthy foods.

The USDA suggests that when you are serving up your food, make half of your plate fruits and vegetables, make sure that half of your grains are whole grains, and switch low-fat (1%) or fat-free milk.

When picking what to drink with your meal, avoid sugary drinks and make sure that you are drinking enough water throughout the day.

I've found that by following these simple guidelines, I feel healthier and I have more energy. I also have found that I am generally in a much better mood on days that I eat healthy foods than on days when I eat junk food and candy.

Not only will eating fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains help me feel better on a daily basis but during an emergency, it won't be too hard to transition to a diet containing mostly Freeze-Dried Fruits, Vegetables, homemade whole wheat bread, and other food storage items.

Asian Chicken Stir-Fry Video

We have a great new Stir-Fry Combo on sale this month for only $89.99 that includes our Freeze-Dried Asian Style Seasoned White Chicken, Freeze-Dried Portabello Mushrooms, Freeze-Dried White Onion Flakes, Freeze-Dried Broccoli, Dehydrated Carrot Dices, and White Rice.

Check out our most recent video for a great recipe for an Asian Chicken Stir-Fry that uses all of the ingredients included in our Stir-Fry Combo.

Egg Drop Soup Video

Check out our latest video for a great side dish to go with your Stir-Fry or a perfect way to use your Powdered Whole Eggs!

New Products - August 2011

It's always nice to get something new. Here at Emergency Essentials, we are continually evaluating and testing new products. You can always click on the "New" tab on the top right of our website (BePrepared.com) for a complete listing of our latest and greatest products.

Here are a few of the new products we have this month. Simply click on each picture for more information.

 Freeze-Dried Fruit Favorites Combo

 Granola with Milk and Blueberries

and

Granola with Milk and Bananas

 Jumper Cables

 Deluxe Auto Combo

 Auto Tool Kit

 Auto Emergency Kit

 Auto Emergency Kit Add-On

Kaito Voyager Pro

First Aid for Puncture Wounds

Puncture wounds are usually caused by a sharp, pointed object such as a nail or needle. Puncture wounds can be very serious. The main concern is that it is a small, yet deep wound, and germ-laden bacteria can be pushed into the wound.

Puncture wounds are often difficult to clean. If the object has penetrated the bone, it can abscess. This is especially risky if an object penetrates a tennis shoe. The foam in tennis shoes is known to harbor a type of bacteria called pseudomonas, which can cause infection of the tissues.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need to provide first aid for a puncture wound, follow these instructions:
• Flush the area thoroughly with water, cleaning well
• Elevate the punctured area if possible
• If signs of infection manifest (redness, swelling, persistent pain, pus or fever), contact a health professional (These signs of infection apply to any type of wound)
• If a foot has been punctured, wear a clean sock and shoe to protect the area while it is healing

It is always a good idea to make sure you are current on your immunizations against tetanus.

Jambalaya Video

Check out our newest recipe video for Shrimp Jambalaya. We know that a lot of you may not like shrimp so this is a perfect recipe to use with any type of meat combination. It is also a great way to use your Freeze-Dried Vegetables.