By Kenneth Marcos 
After a typhoon or heavy flooding, many families rush to clean their homes and salvage what they can. But while damaged roofs and wet floors are easy to spot, the bigger danger could be inside the kitchen—spoiled or contaminated food.
Flooded areas, power outages, and lack of refrigeration can lead to foodborne illnesses, especially when meat or other perishables are not stored or cooked properly. That’s why the Department of Agriculture is reminding everyone: “Ligtas na pagkain, ligtas na pamilya.”
Here are simple but important food safety tips that every household should follow after a storm:
1. Check the meat before cooking
If the meat smells bad or looks unusual in color or texture, it’s safer to throw it away. Spoiled meat can carry harmful bacteria that may cause stomach pain, vomiting, or even food poisoning.
2. Avoid meat that was soaked in floodwater
Meat exposed to dirty water—especially from canals or sewers—is no longer safe to eat, even if it looks fine. Floodwater can contain bacteria, chemicals, and parasites that cooking alone may not eliminate.
3. Cook thoroughly
Make sure meat is fully cooked before serving. Use heat to kill germs, especially if you’re unsure how long the food has been unrefrigerated. When in doubt, cook longer.
4. Separate raw and cooked food
Keep raw meat away from cooked meals or ready-to-eat food like rice, bread, and fruits. Use different knives and cutting boards to avoid cross-contamination.
5. Act fast if there’s no electricity
If there’s a power outage and your freezer or refrigerator stops working, cook meat and other perishables as soon as possible. Once thawed, meat should not be refrozen unless it has been cooked.
According to the World Health Organization, millions of people fall sick every year due to unsafe food. Most of these cases are preventable through simple practices in food handling and preparation.
In the aftermath of any disaster, protecting your family’s health should remain a top priority. Always be cautious with what you eat, especially during emergencies when medical help may be harder to access.
When it comes to food safety, it’s better to be sure than sorry. A few extra minutes spent checking, cleaning, or cooking can save you from days of illness and costly hospital bills.
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