Stockpile Food for Flu Crisis

Stockpile Food for Flu Crisis

HOLLY NOTE: To prepare for the coming crunch, one option is to purchase a lot of freeze dried or dehydrated food. That's expensive and in an emergency, you may not have stored enough extra water to reconstitute these foods. MRE's are also a consideration, though they have a high sodium content and lack "dining" desirability. Such foods are best for short-term consumption. Unless you are really hungry, these foods will lose their appeal AND eat into your wallet. However, it's wise to store some of these products for emergencies.

With rising prices at grocery stores, your best bet is to stock up during sales and take advantage of bulk purchases. This will keep your diet as normal as possible - something that is vital during times of stress. For additional savings, consider purchasing foods through a coop and divide costs among friends and family.

When you find great deals, stock up! You'll want to know how to preserve your food investment for best shelf life, maximum nutrition, and long term storage. You'll have foods you're used to eating handy and viable when you need them.

People tend to forget that not only are store bought foods the best buy, but eventually you will run out of freeze dried or dehydrated products or your supplier will, so learn to store your own. It will keep your family safe and well-fed tomorrow and 10 years from now.

IMPORTANT FOOTNOTE: What this article and the Food Lifeboat both overlook is storing adequate amounts of water. The Food Lifeboat suggests having about 2 quarts of water per day per person. This is not nearly enough.

If your stored foods require any water for reconstitution or preparation, like powdered milk, dried beans, dry pasta, instant noodles, and dehydrated potato flakes, it may leave you in a world of hurt unless you have adequate supplies on hand. Consuming the Food Lifeboat-suggested foods like salted nuts, salt-packed tuna and Vegemite will make you even thirstier. Most tomato taste, too, is loaded with solium.

You must also supply water for periodic bathing, brushing your teeth, and other essential activities and provide water for your pets. This does NOT include washing clothes or dishes. Accidental spills can also deplete precious water supplies. Two quarts of stored water per person will rapidly disappear. Learn how to properly purify and store your own water. It is more vital than food.

It is not widely publicized, but many cities have only enough chlorine stored to purify public water for 5 to 7 days so it is essential to provide your own. This entire Dr. Osterholm transcript on bird flu is very eye-opening.

You may also want to use the Deyo Food Storage Planner for determining how much to store. It's FREE as is the water purification information. See this area for the metric version of the Deyo Food Storage Planner. For instructions how to use these planners, see this page. You will also need to beef up your stored medical supplies. Be sure to check for out-of-date medicines and prescriptions.



December 16, 2007
Clair Weaver

EVERY Australian household should stockpile at least 10 weeks' worth of food rations to prepare for a deadly flu pandemic, a panel of leading nutritionists has warned.

World health experts now agree a pandemic is inevitable and will spread rapidly, wiping out up to 7.4 million people globally and triggering rapid food shortages.

Australia is expected to be among the first countries hit because of its proximity to Asia and high levels of international traffic.

But Woolworths and Coles, the nation's two major supermarket chains, will run out of stock within two to four weeks without a supply chain – or even faster if shoppers panic. (HOLLY NOTE: In the U.S., grocery stores maintain only a 3-day supply of food - under normal condtions.)

This has prompted a team of leading nutritionists and dietitians from the University of Sydney to compile "food lifeboat" guidelines to cover people's nutritional needs for at least 10 weeks.

Their advice – published in the Medical Journal of Australia – would allow citizens to stay inside their homes and avoid contact with infected people until a vaccine becomes available.

The lifeboat includes affordable long-life staples such as rice, biscuits, milk powder, Vegemite, canned tuna, chocolate, lentils, Milo and Weet-Bix.

Jennie Brand-Miller, professor of human nutrition at the University of Sydney and co-leader of the study, believes it is common sense to stockpile food before a pandemic strikes.

"It's really not a question of if: it's a question of when," she said.

"We are going to have an epidemic. Chances are it will be avian flu (bird flu) but it might be something else.

"It will spread very rapidly just like flu does normally because it's a highly contagious organism, except this will be a really lethal one. What we suffer from is a false sense of security that someone else is looking after all this."

While there are emergency plans within governments, hospitals and the food industry, individuals will still need to take personal precautions in a disaster, she said.

The most important message for the Australian public is to avoid going out in public when the pandemic hits, the research found.

"We know that once it becomes a highly transmissable virus it will probably fly around the world within three weeks," Prof Brand-Miller said.

"We know it's got all the right conditions to start in Indonesia or Asia and there have already been human transmissions.

* The full food lifeboat guidelines are available at www.foodlifeboat.com.au

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22929648-953,00.html