[ti:Food Safety After a Flood] [ar:Fritzi Bodenheimer] [al:Development Report] [by:www.tingclass.com] [00:03.00]This is the VOA Special English [00:05.87]Development Report. [00:07.51]Food that has come in contact [00:10.45]with floodwaters can sicken [00:12.99]anyone who eats it. [00:15.03]Water from floods may contain [00:17.92]animal and human waste. [00:19.86]It can also contain [00:22.25]other pollutants like chemicals [00:25.08]from agriculture and industry. [00:27.92]After a flood, food safety specialists [00:31.90]at the United States Department [00:34.15]of Agriculture have this advice: [00:37.27]Throw away anything [00:39.62]that is not stored [00:41.01]in a waterproof container [00:42.81]if there was a chance of contact. [00:45.61]Food containers that are not [00:48.79]waterproof include those [00:51.03]with screw caps, snap lids, [00:53.78]pull tops and crimped caps. [00:56.55]Also, throw away boxes of juice, [01:00.85]milk or baby formula [01:03.64]if they have come into [01:05.38]contact with floodwater. [01:07.27]The Department of Health [01:09.31]in the state of Minnesota says [01:12.15]you should throw away anything [01:14.09]in soft packaging. [01:15.83]And the Extension Service [01:18.32]at North Dakota State University [01:21.06]offers other advice: [01:23.40]Do not save plastic bags [01:26.43]of food even if boxes [01:28.47]or containers [01:29.62]inside the bags appear dry. [01:32.50]Do not eat fresh produce [01:35.55]from the garden if it has come [01:38.09]in contact with floodwater. [01:40.38]To be safe, have the soil tested. [01:43.77]And throw away screw-topped [01:47.15]or crimp-topped jars [01:48.80]and bottles even if they [01:51.19]have never been opened. [01:52.63]Glass jars and bottles [01:55.47]of home-canned foods should [01:58.00]be thrown out as well. [01:59.55]Experts say the containers [02:02.13]cannot be effectively [02:04.32]cleaned after a flood. [02:06.31]Throw away damaged metal cans [02:09.70]or hard plastic containers. [02:12.04]Do not use cans that are swollen [02:15.22]or leaking, or that [02:17.31]are rusted or crushed. [02:19.30]But food safety experts say [02:22.69]that some unopened, undamaged [02:25.67]all-metal cans can be saved. [02:28.96]First, remove any labels. [02:31.79]The paper may contain dirt [02:34.68]and germs from the floodwater. [02:37.37]Wash the cans with soap and water, [02:40.35]and brush or wipe away dirt. [02:43.14]Use hot water and water that [02:46.97]is safe for drinking [02:48.12]if they are available. [02:49.46]Next, place the cans again [02:52.70]in water and heat the water [02:54.39]to one hundred degrees Celsius. [02:56.38]Boil the cans for two minutes. [02:59.17]Another way to disinfect the cans [03:02.55]is in a freshly made solution [03:04.94]of chlorine bleach. [03:06.53]Use eight drops of unscented [03:09.07]liquid bleach for every [03:11.56]four liters of water. [03:13.35]Use drinking water [03:15.74]or the cleanest, [03:16.93]clearest water available. [03:18.72]Place the cans in the solution [03:21.41]for fifteen minutes. [03:23.05]Let sanitized cans air-dry [03:26.98]for at least one hour before opening [03:30.12]or storing them. [03:31.36]And relabel the cans [03:33.86]with a marking pen [03:35.11]to list their contents [03:36.75]and any dates when the foods [03:39.29]are best used by. [03:41.18]Experts advise using the cans [03:44.16]as soon as possible. [03:46.30]And that's the VOA Special English [03:49.54]Development Report. [03:50.83]You can read, [03:55.06]download and comment on our reports [03:57.05]at tingclass.com. [03:58.69]I'm Fritzi Bodenheimer.