Food Safety After A Fire Discard food that has been near a fire.
Three factors can affect food that has been exposed to fire: the
heat of the fire, smoke fumes, and chemicals used to put out the
fire. One of the most dangerous elements of a fire is the
release of toxic fumes from burning materials. These fumes can
contaminate food, tableware, and cookware, as can toxic
components from the chemicals used to put out the fire. Below
are some guidelines to follow to ensure safety of food: •
Discard food in permeable packaging such as cardboard, plastic
wrap, screwed topped jars and bottles stored outside the
refrigerator • Discard raw foods such as fruits and vegetables
that were stored outside the refrigerator. • Check the
refrigerator and freezer for off odors. Doors on the units’ do
not seal airtight and fumes can contaminate within. Discard any
foods that have off odors in the unit • Decontaminate canned
goods, tableware and cookware by washing in soap and hot water,
and then submerge for 15 minutes in a solu