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Food Safety News published hurricane-recovery guidance on Oct. 9, 2026, warning that floodwater and extended power outages can make food and household items unsafe. The advice includes discarding exposed food and certain utensils, avoiding drinks that may have contacted floodwater, and cleaning and sanitizing salvageable metal and ceramic items.
Food Safety News published hurricane-recovery guidance on Oct. 9, 2026, advising households to discard food that may have contacted floodwater and food kept in refrigerators or freezers during a power outage lasting several days. The advice matters because flooding and extended outages can compromise food and drinking water, while unsafe items may not be identifiable by taste or appearance.
The report says to never taste food to check whether it is safe. If power has been out for several days, it advises throwing away food in both the refrigerator and freezer. The article points readers to a food-safety chart for more specific guidance on which items may be kept after an outage, but the supplied report does not include the chart’s item-by-item recommendations.
For drinking, the guidance says to use bottled water or other beverages that have not contacted floodwater. Bottles with screw caps are not waterproof, so drinks that may have been exposed to floodwater should be discarded. If bottled water is unavailable, the report directs readers to learn how to boil or disinfect water safely.
Food not held in a waterproof container should be discarded if it may have contacted floodwater. The report names screw-cap, snap-lid, pull-top and crimped-cap containers as not waterproof. Undamaged, commercially prepared food in all-metal cans or retort pouches may be salvageable if handled according to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service’s consumer guide for severe storms and hurricanes.
Protecting Food and Drinking Water
These steps address two routes by which a hurricane can affect household food safety: loss of refrigeration and contact with floodwater. The report’s advice is deliberately cautious: when food may have been exposed, taste is not a safe test, and containers that appear closed may not keep floodwater out.
Kitchen equipment also needs attention. Metal pans, utensils and ceramic dishes exposed to floodwater can be cleaned and sanitized under the report’s instructions, while certain porous or difficult-to-sanitize items should be discarded. Following the distinctions can help households avoid reusing contaminated items while preserving eligible, undamaged packaged food.
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Flooding and Outages After Hurricanes
The report frames its advice around floods and prolonged power outages that can follow hurricanes. It was published by Food Safety News on Oct. 9, 2026, and directs readers to federal food-safety resources for further instructions. The supplied report does not identify a particular storm, affected region, or government emergency order; it presents general recovery guidance rather than a storm-specific advisory.
For undamaged canned goods and retort pouches, the source refers readers to the USDA FSIS Consumer’s Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes. That reference is the stated route for deciding how to handle those products; the source does not reproduce the full cleaning steps for cans and pouches.
“Never taste a food to determine its safety.”
— Food Safety News report
Which Items Need Individual Review
The source does not specify the duration or temperature conditions at which individual refrigerated or frozen foods become unsafe, and its referenced outage chart is not included in the supplied material. It says to discard refrigerator and freezer food after an outage lasting several days, but specific decisions for particular foods should be checked against the cited USDA guidance.
The report also does not provide local water advisories, identify which communities are affected, or explain how to disinfect water in detail. Conditions and official instructions can vary by location. Readers should follow current local public-health advice where available and use the USDA contact options listed in the report for food-safety questions.
Use USDA Guidance During Cleanup
Households can consult the USDA FSIS severe-storm and hurricane guide for instructions on handling eligible canned goods and retort pouches, and the referenced chart for food affected by power loss. Food Safety News lists the Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854, available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time in English or Spanish. Questions can also be sent to MPHotline@usda.gov or submitted through Ask USDA live chat.
For items exposed to floodwater, the report says to wash metal pans, utensils and ceramic dishes thoroughly with hot, soapy water, rinse them, and then sanitize them by boiling in clean water or immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of one tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water. Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers that may have contacted floodwater.
Key Questions
Can I taste food to check whether it is safe after a hurricane?
No. Food Safety News says never taste food to determine its safety. Use the relevant outage and floodwater guidance instead.
What should I do with refrigerator and freezer food after a long outage?
The report advises throwing away food in the refrigerator and freezer if power has been out for several days. It refers readers to a food-safety chart for item-specific guidance; that chart is not reproduced in the supplied report.
Can I drink bottled water that may have touched floodwater?
The guidance says to discard bottled water and other beverages that may have contacted floodwater. Screw caps are not waterproof. If bottled water is unavailable, consult reliable instructions on boiling or disinfecting water and follow local public-health advice.
Which kitchen items should be discarded after floodwater exposure?
Food Safety News advises discarding wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers that may have contacted floodwater. Metal pans, utensils and ceramic dishes can be washed and sanitized using the steps in the report.
How can I ask USDA about food safety after a storm?
The report lists the Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854, open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time in English or Spanish. It also lists MPHotline@usda.gov and Ask USDA live chat.
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