FOOD AND WATER SAFETY

Food: You should throw away items that may have come in contact with floodwater – like:

• Home-canned foods.
• All foods in cardboard boxes, paper, foil, cellophane (plastic wrap) or cloth.
• Meat, poultry, eggs or fish.
• Spices, seasonings, extracts, flour, sugar, grain, coffee and other staples in canisters.
• Unopened jars with waxed cardboard seals, such as mayonnaise and salad dressing. Also, throw away preserves sealed with paraffin wax.
• Throw away any fruits and vegetables that have been in contact with floodwaters – including those that have not been harvested from gardens.
• Wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers.

You do NOT need to throw away the following items if they have been in contact with floodwater:

• Commercially canned foods that came into contact with floodwater and have been properly cleaned by: labeling cans with the name of food in permanent marker; removing labels; washing cans in water containing detergent; soaking cans for at least one minute in chlorine solution; rinsing in clean, cool water; placing on sides to dry (do not stack cans).
• Dishes and glassware if they are sanitized by boiling in clean water or by immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach per quart of water.
• If electricity at your home has been off for long periods of time, throw away perishable foods (like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, leftovers, etc.) that have been above 40 degrees for two hours or more.

Water

Local authorities will tell you if tap water is safe to drink or use for cooking or bathing. If the water is unsafe, authorities may issue “boil water advisories” or tell you to use bottled water. Follow boil water advisories exactly to safely disinfect tap water before using it. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, cooking, food preparation, dishwashing, making ice and coffee, mixing baby formula and brushing teeth. Thoroughly wash all metal pans, ceramic dishes and utensils that come in contact with floodwater with hot soapy water and sanitize by boiling these items in clean water, or by immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach per quart of water.

If your private water well has been flooded, follow the disinfection instructions found in the flood-related information tab on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s website or call the toll-free number, both of which can be found at the bottom of this fact sheet.

Restaurants

Restaurant and food facilities inspected by the state, and hit by floodwaters, must be inspected by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Food Safety prior to reopening.

Crops

Farmers whose crops have been submerged in floodwaters need to have crops tested. Farmers should contact their local county Agriculture extension office for testing. Farmers whose crops have been harvested for forage and were submerged should also be tested before use. Farmers can contact local county Agriculture extension offices or the Department of Agriculture.