Building an emergency food supply

Getting Started

An emergency supply kit should include both food and water. Select items that:

Have a long storage life.
Require little or no cooking, water, or refrigeration in case utilities are disrupted.
Meet the needs of infants or other family members on special diets.
Meet your pets' needs.

Ready-to-eat foods include:

Canned meats, fish, beans, soups, fruits, and vegetables
(store a manual can opener with your food)
Parcooked rice and pasta
Energy bars
Dry cereals
Crackers, pretzels, popcorn
Jerky
Nut butter
Dried fruit, nuts, trail mix
Shelf-stable boxes of juice and milk
Food for infants
Comfort/stress foods (candy, cookies, coffee, tea)

Some preparation and liquid are required for:

Start the process by pulling together items you already have.
Once you've pulled together the items you have, start making a list of what you still need.
Consider adding a few extra dollars to your weekly shopping trip and buy just a few items each time you go to the store.
Keep an eye out for sales. Keep your supply list handy so you'll know what you still need when you find a good deal.

Store items in a cool, dry place and on high shelves to protect them from minor household flooding.
Keep food in airtight and waterproof containers.
Keep cooking and eating supplies clean.
Discard any food that has come into direct contact with floodwater.
Clean and sanitize any cans that have come into contact with floodwater before using.
Discard items that are rusty, leaking, bulging, badly dented, have broken seals, or have an unusual odor, color, or taste.
Use ready-to-feed formula. If you must mix infant formula, use bottled water or boiled water as a last resort.

FIRST: Use perishable food and foods from the refrigerator.

THEN: Use foods from the freezer.

To minimize the number of times you open the freezer door, post a list of freezer contents on it.
In a well-filled, well-insulated freezer, foods will usually still have ice crystals in their centers. Only consume foods with ice crystals remaining or if the temperature of the freezer has remained at 40 degrees F.
Covering the freezer with blankets will help to hold in cold (do not cover air vents).

FINALLY: Begin to use non-perishable foods and staples.

For emergency cooking, you can use a fire, a charcoal grill, or camp stove (outdoors only). Be sure you have enough wood, charcoal, or fuel on hand.
Warm food with candle warmers, chafing dishes and fondue pots. Do not use warming items for cooking raw foods that have to be thoroughly cooked to be safe.

Store at least one gallon of water daily for each person and pet in the household. Consider storing more water than this for hot climates, and pregnant or sick people.
Have enough water to maintain proper hygiene and sanitation during an emergency. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling food items.
If water is scarce, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol content.
Consider using disposable plates, cups, and utensils to minimize washing requirements.
If tap water is available, follow local health guidelines and boil it before use, if advised to do so.
Consider buying a portable water filter or water purification tablets.
Learn more about emergency disinfection of drinking water by clicking here.

For more information visit www.ready.gov