In connection with the current flood situation, the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) draws the attention of the public and food business operators to elementary rules of safe handling of foodstuffs that has been affected by flood water or otherwise damaged in connection with the floods:

• It is necessary to take into account the fact that flood water poses a diametrically different degree of risk than water from the public water supply network. When flowing uncontrolled through the landscape, flood water comes into contact with a multitude of health-threatening substances from, for example, sewers, sewage treatment plants, industrial production and other sources posing a high risk of microbial or chemical contamination.
• Under no circumstances should consumers consume foodstuffs that have come into contact with flood water, in particular unpackaged or unwrapped food.
• Even sealed foodstuffs cannot be considered safe as contamination can occur from hard to reach places such as around seals where the contents could be contaminated once opened.
• In addition, the consumption of foods in which sensory changes have occurred – particularly in taste, smell and colour – should be avoided.
• Due to power cuts, safety cannot be guaranteed for chilled foodstuffs – particularly meat and dairy products that have been exposed to temperatures above six degrees of Celsius for more than four hours. For frozen foods, safety cannot be guaranteed if they are outside the required temperature range for more than two hours.
• Affected agricultural crops in fields, garden beds or orchards, whether in private gardens or in large-scale agricultural production, must also be considered at risk.
• Even foodstuffs that have not come into direct contact with flood water can pose a health risk. Bulk foods such as flour, cereals or breadcrumbs are at risk of becoming mouldy and breeding mycotoxins if they have been exposed to high humidity.
• CAFIA strongly recommends that food business operators – both producers and sellers – dispose of all flooded foodstuffs without exception.
• At the same time, CAFIA offers assistance to all registered food business operators, especially in documenting the damage caused and proposing effective and safe solutions to the situation.

Article by: Pavel Kopřiva – CAFIA Spokesperson, phone: +420 542 426 633

16^th September 2024

Source: Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority | CAFIA recommendation on handling of foodstuffs in flooded areas (gov.cz)