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As we put our homes and lives back together in the aftermath of hurricanes, floods, and power outages it is important to remember that these events also have a lingering and potentially hazardous public health impact. Grain and vegetable crops, food manufacturing facilities, food warehouses, and food transporters may have been flooded or lost power. In some areas, crops along with other processed food and food products may be submerged in flood water and may have been exposed to sewage, chemicals, heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms or other contaminants. Even if the crop is not completely submerged, there may still be microbial contamination of the edible portion of the crop. There is also the potential for plants to take up chemical contaminants. In addition to the direct presence of contaminants, mold and toxins may develop in the crops and food products as a result of exposure to the water. In addition, if power has been lost, perishable or frozen foods are at risk of spoiling. The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises that certain foods exposed to flood waters, and perishable foods that are not adequately refrigerated, are adulterated and should not enter the human food supply. In addition, crops and other food commodities exposed to flood waters would not be acceptable for use in animal feed. FDA is also providing guidance in determining when food products can be reconditioned for future use.
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