Emergencies and food advice from AFGC

The following brilliant advice for emergencies and food is from a great brochure from  the Australian Food and Grocery Council and it can be found at https://foodsafety.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/pantrylist-2015.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3XADOO_EU5fu0IYx0dOxvTOp_a6AQbP2NhKf7tIwJCHrLvnsI31Tfwd-Y. It includes a very useful pantry list to use in the event of an emergency and is included here with permission.

Getting ready for an emergency Emergencies can happen  anywhere and any time, and can have a significant  impact  on people’s  lives. Being prepared for an emergency can ensure that you and your family can manage if affected by an emergency such as: Bushfire, Flood,Influenza  Pandemic

Naturally all households differ, and you should  customise  the list to suit the needs of your household. You should  also give special consideration to any family members with  special needs, such as babies, young  children,  pregnant  women, the elderly, ill or infirmed.

You can start to build  your supplies  over time, adding  more each time you shop. Regularly check the expiry date/s of your emergency supplies,  and consume  or replace any items as required.

Be prepared

In addition to ensuring you have an adequate  supply  of food, water and emergency  provisions, there are some  other  simple steps you can take to  prepare  for an emergency  situation:

• Discuss your plans with  family and  friends.
• Consider how  family  members/friends outside  your household might  cope in an emergency? Would  any other  family  members join  your household in an emergency  situation (eg parents, grandparents, adult  children)?  If so, you may need to  consider how  to include  them  in your plans.
• Have important phone numbers such as your  family  doctor, local police  station, State Emergency Service, fire brigade and utility providers in a prominent place (eg the  fridge  door).
• Listen to local news and get up to date information. Emergency incidents  like  those listed  above  can affect the supply  of essential utilities, including electricity, gas and water, and disrupt  the supply  of food, groceries and critical items. This brochure  provides  you with  important information on how to stock your pantry  to  ensure your household has an adequate supply  of food, water and emergency items to cope with a prolonged emergency situation. It also contains  a ‘pantry  list’ of suggested supplies.

The Pantry List should  only be used  as a guide for items that may assist in an emergency situation  and should  be customised to meet your individual household needs.

• It is suggested that households should hold sufficient supply of food, water and essential items to enable a household to be confined at home for up to 14 days.
• Food supplies should be continually used and replenished.
• Ensure food is rotated, and use-by dates are checked regularly.

Managing at home

If you do find yourself and your family in a situation where you are confined, or choose to be confined at home during or following an emergency,  there are several things you should  consider to ensure  you manage  your supply of food in the best possible  way.

These include:

• If the power is out, use refrigerated/ frozen food products first. Refrigerated foods will remain safe for up to 4 hours after a power failure. Frozen foods will remain safe for up to 1 day after a power failure. Keeping the refrigerator/freezer door closed as much as possible may keep food safer for longer, however a thermometer  should be used to ensure food has not exceeded 6°C.  Freshly cooked products  stored  at room temperature (ie not in the fridge) will remain safe for up to 4 hours after cooking.
• Consume other perishable products (eg fresh fruit and vegetables, bread) before consuming long life products.
• When purchasing products for your pantry , aim for ready-to-eat products  that do not require cooking (in case gas or electricity supply is disrupted).
• Ration food/water supplies based on how long you expect to be confined at home.