Follow these tips to learn about safe storage of emergency food and water.
Storage
- Keep food in a dry, cool, dark area if possible.
- Replace expired food. Check expiration dates regularly and keep track of when food will expire. Find ways to use food that is about to expire.
- Open food boxes and other resealable containers carefully so that you can close them tightly after each use.
- Wrap perishable foods, such as crackers, in plastic bags and keep them in sealed containers.
- Check all food for spoilage before eating.
- If you have opened packages of nuts and dried fruits, put the food in screw-top jars or air-tight canisters to keep pests away.
- Throw out canned food that is swollen, dented, or damaged.
- Eat the food before it expires and replace all expired food with fresh food, dated with a pen or a marker. Place new food in the back of the storage area and older food in front.
Shelf Life
- Eat within six months:
- Powdered milk (boxed)
- Dried fruit
- Crackers
- Instant potatoes
- Eat within one year or before the expiration date on the label:
- Canned soups
- Canned fruits, fruit juices, and vegetables
- Ready-to-eat cereals and uncooked instant cereals
- Peanut butter and other nut butters
- Jelly
- Canned nuts
- May be stored forever in proper containers and conditions:
- Wheat
- Dried corn
- Baking powder
- Soybeans
- Instant coffee, tea, and cocoa
- White rice
- Dry pasta
- Powdered milk in nitrogen-packed cans
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