Be prepared for emergencies
Preparing yourself and your family for emergencies could save lives.
Get to know the potential emergencies that could affect
your neighbourhood. Emergencies can be situations such as chemical spills or
power outages. They can also be natural events such as
- earthquakes
- floods
- landslides
- tornadoes
- winter storms
- wildfires
For example, if you live in an area that is often affected by floods, plan
to store your food on shelves so that it will be away from potentially
contaminated water.
By planning ahead and taking practical steps to prepare, you can do your
part to stay safe during an emergency.
Make a plan and get a kit
As a household:
Remember that in case of a major event you must prepare to be
self-sufficient for at least 72 hours while emergency workers focus on
people in urgent need.
For a complete list of items to include in your emergency kit and other emergency preparedness information, visit
www.getprepared.ca
Steps you can take to keep your food safe in an emergency
Practicing safe food-handling is an important part of everyday life, but is
especially important in emergency situations.
Be sure to carefully inspect all food items and do not eat any food you
think may not be safe. Spoiled food may not look contaminated. Remember,
when in doubt, throw it out.
Plan ahead for emergencies
- Check the temperature of your fridge and freezer. Are they cold enough?
- Set refrigerators at or below 4°C
(40°F). Use a refrigerator
thermometer to check the temperature.
- Keep freezers at or below -18°C
(0°F). Use a freezer thermometer to
check the temperature.
- If there is a power outage, refrigerator and freezer thermometers will
indicate the internal temperature of the appliances to help you determine if
the stored food is safe.
- Have a cooler with ice ready ahead of time to keep refrigerated food cold
if you know that the power will be out for more than 4 hours.
- Have items on hand that do not require refrigeration, such as shelf-stable
foods, including canned goods and water. Remember to replace these emergency
storage food items periodically.
- Make sure to have ready-to-use baby formula and pet food, if needed.
- Ensure that you have a hand-held can opener to use during an
emergency.
Handling refrigerated and frozen food during a power failure
- Freezing stops the growth of bacteria. Do not open the refrigerator
or freezer door unless absolutely necessary in order to maintain the cold
temperature.
- A full freezer will keep food frozen for about 48 hours. A freezer that is
half full will keep food frozen for about 24 hours.
- An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours.
- If available, add ice to the refrigerator to keep the food at a safe
temperature if the power will be out for long periods of time.
- Do not place frozen food outside, even in winter. The sun’s rays
could thaw frozen food even when the outdoor temperature is very cold, and
animals could contaminate your food.
- If you know that a power failure will last for a long period of time, see
if you can take the food to a friend nearby who has power.
Handling refrigerated and frozen food after a power failure
- Discard any thawed food that has been at room temperature for two or more
hours, and any food that has an obvious unusual colour or odour. Keep in
mind that food contaminated with bacteria does not necessarily smell bad or
appear spoiled.
- Food that still contains ice crystals or feels refrigerator-cold can be
re-frozen.
- If raw food has leaked during thawing, clean and disinfect the areas the
food has touched. Do not reuse the cloths you have used for clean-up until they
have been disinfected by washing in hot water.
Safe handling of food and water
- Listen to local authorities to determine if tap water is safe to use. If
the water is not safe to use, follow instructions to use bottled water, or to
boil or disinfect water for cooking, cleaning, and bathing.
- Do not use contaminated water to
- brush your teeth
- make baby formula
- make ice
- wash and prepare food
- wash dishes
- wash your hands
- Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with
- animal waste
- chemicals
- extraneous materials
- floodwater
- snow and ice
- soil and dirt
- If buying food at the grocery store, or eating out, ask retailers and
restaurateurs to explain how food has been kept safe during a power
failure.
- Check the condition of stored food and throw away any containers that have
been damaged or are past their “best before” date. Can or container
damage is shown by:
- crushing/denting that prevents normal stacking or opening
- deep rusting
- holes
- leakage
- punctures
- swelling
- Food containers that are not waterproof and could have
come into contact with floodwater should be thrown away. These include
containers with:
- pull tops
- screw-caps
- snap lids
- If the following items have come into contact with floodwater or hazardous
material, they should be thrown away because they cannot be sanitized properly.
- baby formula containers
- cardboard juice containers
- home-canned foods
- milk containers
Cleaning and drying stored food and food surfaces after a flood
Only undamaged, commercially-prepared foods in sealed, unopened, airtight,
waterproof cans, jars or pouches are entirely safe to use. However, these cans
and/or pouches must be carefully inspected, cleaned and disinfected before use
by following these procedures:
- If possible, remove the labels on cans or pouches since they could have
come into contact with dirt or bacteria. Be sure to re-label your cans or
pouches, including the ““best before”” date, with a
permanent marker.
- After labels are removed, cans can be cleaned by washing them for two
minutes with a mild bleach solution - 5 ml (or
1 tsp) of bleach per 750 ml (or 3 cups) of water.
- Air-dry all cleaned food cans, jars and pouches to prevent potential
contamination when the containers are opened.
Food preparation equipment, surfaces, dishes and utensils should be properly
sanitized with a mild bleach solution. It is important to allow equipment,
surfaces, dishes and utensils to air dry thoroughly before storing. Do not put
one wet cutting board on top of another, because bacteria can multiply in
trapped water.
By taking steps before, during, and after an emergency, you can help protect
yourself and your family from food-borne illnesses.
The Government of Canada’s role in food safety
The Government of Canada is committed to food safety.
Health Canada establishes regulations and standards relating to the safety
and nutritional quality of food sold in Canada. Through inspection and
enforcement activities, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is
responsible for verifying that food sold in Canada meets Health Canada’s
requirements.
For more information on food safety, please visit the
Government of Canada’s Food Safety Portal (www.foodsafety.gc.ca) and
the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education’s
Be Food Safe Canada program (www.befoodsafe.ca).
You can also call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 /
TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern time, Monday
to Friday).