Health · Public Health & Disease · 7 hrs ago
Some flood-exposed canned foods may be safe to keep if they are intact
Floodwater can contaminate food, but some commercially canned foods may be safe to keep.
US Food and Drug Administration guidance says this can apply to fully metal, airtight cans that remain intact.
Check each can for bulging, holes, leaks, deep rust or major dents, and discard any with these signs without opening or tasting them.
Remove paper labels, wash the outside with soap and water, rinse with safe water, then disinfect the sealed can using an approved method.
The guidance includes boiling intact cans for two minutes or using a correctly prepared disinfecting solution.
Home-canned food, food in cardboard or ordinary plastic packaging, and containers with closures that may let in floodwater should be discarded.
Foods that look or smell normal can still be contaminated, so appearance alone is not a reliable safety check.
Some commercial canned foods exposed to floodwater may be kept if they are fully metallic, hermetically sealed and undamaged.
The US Food and Drug Administration says these cans must be cleaned and disinfected using specific procedures.
Cans with bulges, holes, leaks, deep rust or major dents should be discarded without opening or tasting them.
Cans with screw-top, snap-on or easy-open closures that may let in contaminants should not be kept if submerged.
Homemade preserves and foods in paper, cardboard or ordinary plastic packaging should be discarded after contact with floodwater.
- Who
- The US Food and Drug Administration provides the guidance.
- What
- Some intact, fully metallic, hermetically sealed commercial cans may be recovered after a flood if cleaned and disinfected properly.
- When
- After a hurricane or flood.
- Where
- Not stated.
- Why
- The guidance aims to help people avoid food safety risks while reducing unnecessary waste.
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- Eligible packaging
- Fully metallic, hermetically sealed commercial cans
- Discard signs
- Bulges, holes, leaks, deep rust or major dents
- Boiling option
- Keep eligible cans in boiling water for two minutes
- Drying time
- Air-dry disinfected cans for at least one hour
- Not recoverable
- Homemade preserves and foods in cardboard, paper or ordinary plastic packaging
Sources
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