BREVARD COUNTY, Florida – Over half of all FPL customers in Brevard County lost power for several days due to Hurricane Matthew.
The power outages resulted in spoiled food in homes, grocery stores, and restaurants throughout Brevard County, leaving many parents to question whether or not the food served in Brevard County Public School District cafeterias was fresh when school resumed on Tuesday.
Prior to the hurricane’s arrival, the District’s Food & Nutrition Services placed their food vendor on notice that BPS may need to request emergency food shipments, according to BPS spokesperson, Michelle Irwin. Recovery food was then kept by the distributor until Matthew passed.
Once the storm passed, a team gathered at the District office to access the loss in the cafeterias. The cafeteria managers at the schools impacted by the power outage were then contacted by district administrators.
The District office worked with the schools to dispose of the loss utilizing Waste Management to remove the spoiled (or potentially spoiled) food from the sites.
Recovery shipments of food were then delivered to schools beginning Monday and will continue throughout the week, Irwin stated in an email.
Food poisoning from the consumption of spoiled food and beverages following a power outage is always a major health concern after a hurricane hits. The Food and Drug Administration recommends that, “When it doubt, throw it out.”
Image credit: USDA
