S10 - Disaster Preparedness and Response

Macleod A
Organizers: Dale Grinstead and Zeb Blanton, Jr.
Convenors: Dale Grinstead and Zeb Blanton, Jr.

8:30 Disaster Preparedness — Candace Jacobs, H-E-B, San Antonio, TX, USA

9:00 Assessing the Damage — Art Johnson, CanStar Restoration

9:30 Food Safety Issues That Arise After a Disaster — H. Wayne Derstine, Enviromental Administrator, Tallahassee, FL, USA

10:00 Break

10:30 Ready to Reopen — Tim Gutzman, Ecolab, Inc., Eagan, MN, USA

11:00 Case Studies — Shirley Bohm, FDA, College Park, MD, USA

11:30 Case Studies — Zeb Blanton, Jr., FL Dept of Agri & Consumer Serv, Altamonte Springs, FL, USA

Abstract
Recent events such as the Tsunami of 2004, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and the earthquake in Pakistan in 2005 have made clear the vulnerability of all countries to natural disasters. Recent studies published in Science and Nature have reported that hurricane intensity has been increasing during the past 30 years.The inevitability of such natural disasters makes preparing for them and their impact on food safety critically important. A disaster such as a hurricane or earthquake can be devastating to a community and the need to focus on basic survival can make issues like food safety seem unimportant. However, during a natural disaster disruptions to basic food safety measures such as refrigeration, cleaning and sanitation routines, access to potable water, and safe sanitary sewer systems can actually elevate the risk of food borne illness. This risk can continue long after the disaster is over. Rebuilding a community and getting basic community infrastructures like food retail and food service business back in operations can be extremely problematic. This seminar will focus on food safety issues that can arise before during and after disasters. Discussions will include how to prepare a food service, food retailer, or food processing operation for a disaster, how to clean and sanitizer after a disaster and what to do if the recovery of the food business will take more than just soap and water. Case studies will also be presented from food businesses that have been through disasters. The case studies will discuss what went right and wrong before, during, and after the disaster.