Food4Patriots Warns of Top 10 Food Storage Mistakes

After disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, more and more people are understanding the importance of storing food for a crisis. But they might be making one of 10 major food storage mistakes. Continue reading →

Feb 26, 2014 /prREACH/ -- According to a recent report by KOMO-TV in Seattle, Wash., (http://www.komonews.com/news/problemsolvers/Food-Donations-Destroyed-in-School-Flood-235494881.html), a broken water pipe at a middle school in Sedro-Woolley destroyed 200 pounds of food that students had collected for needy families in the area.

The television station rallied viewers to replace the food, but the incident was a vivid reminder of the importance of properly storing food, especially items that are being stockpiled for an emergency.

Food4Patriots (www.Food4Patriots.com), the supplier of emergency food suitable for long-term storage, survival and emergency preparedness, recommends protecting stockpiles of food from extreme temperatures, air, light and moisture, as well as a variety of insects and rodents.

Last summer, the company launched a product line that includes 72-hour, four-week and three-month emergency food kits. The food in these kits can be prepared in less than 20 minutes and requires nothing more than boiling water. It is kept in easy-to-store Mylar pouches, which keep out air, moisture and light. Shelf lives are up to 25 years. Among the nutritious foods that are part of the Food4Patriots’ kits are:

• Mountain Man Granola
• Apple Orchard Oatmeal
• Granny’s Homestyle Potato Soup
• Blue Ribbon Cheesy Chicken Rice
• Ol’ 49ers Hearty Chili
• Creamy Beef Stroganoff
• Frank’s Five Star Minestrone.

Those who order one of the Food4Patriots Emergency Kits will also receive four reports: “Top 10 Items Sold Out After Crisis,” “The Water Survival Guide,” “The Survival Garden Guide” and “How to Cut Your Grocery Bills in Half.”

For those who have assembled their own emergency food supplies, following are the top 10 storage mistakes that people make:

1. Ignoring the importance of nutrition in the foods that are stored. This happens more often than one might think. Sometimes people are so concerned about the volume of food they store that they forget about vitamin and mineral content.
2. Using sacks or other containers that are not airtight. This is wrong for a variety of reasons. Air and moisture will greatly decrease the shelf life of stored food. In addition, containers that are not airtight increase the odds of insects or a critter getting into the food.
3. Failing to keep food containers in a cool, dry place. Heat and moisture are two of the chief enemies of stored food.
4. Failing to keep food containers out of the light. It’s best to go to the dark side when it comes to storing food. Light can deplete the vitamin content of food.
5. Storing too many items that need refrigeration. It’s very likely that a crisis will include the loss of power, which could mean that refrigerated items will spoil quickly.
6. Failing to include enough of a variety of different foods. After a couple of days of eating the exact same thing, people want some variety.
7. Failing to maintain a good balance in the foods that are stored. Make sure that the various food items provide a variety of different vitamins and minerals.
8. Failing to include at least a small percentage of “comfort” foods. In addition to satisfying a sweet tooth, comfort foods will be a big help psychologically for individuals and families in a crisis.
9. Failing to check expiration dates and rotate stored foods. In each container, organize food by expiration date. When an item’s expiration date is approaching, eat that food – or donate it to a shelter – and replace it with newer food.
10. Storing all of the food in only one location. This is the classic case of putting all of one’s eggs in one basket. If a home is destroyed in a disaster, residents will be glad that they kept food and water at a secondary location.

Patriot Headquarters (www.patriotheadquarters.com) publishes articles, videos and news to help patriots become more self-reliant and independent from government and big business.