(June 22, 2009 -- Falls Church, Va.) It’s summer and hurricane season has already begun. But the other natural disasters such as flooding, tornados and brushfires are also more common during the summer months.  The Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI) is reminding emergency response centers as well as the general public to stock up on single-use foodservice items as part of their disaster survival kits.

“People forget that when a hurricane, flood, or tornado comes, one of the first things that happens is that electric power is lost,” said John Burke, FPI president. “Without electric power you can’t properly sanitize permanent dishware and the use of sanitary, single-use foodservice items becomes a critical when feeding people in a safe and sanitary manner—whether it’s your community or your family.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code authoritatively spells out the sanitary and health advantages of single-use packaging: “A food establishment without facilities...for cleaning and sanitizing kitchenware and tableware shall provide only single-use kitchenware, single-service articles, and single-use articles for use by food employees and single-service articles for use by consumers.”

The Department of Homeland Security recommends putting single-use foodservice products in any disaster kit and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as well as several local jurisdictions recommend single-use products in hurricane preparedness kits. FPI advises that any disaster response kit should contain at least a ten-day of supply of single-use foodservice packaging items packed away in a water-proof plastic bag with a re-sealable or zipper closure. That equates to 30 cups, 30 plates, 30 bowls, 30 sets of cutlery, and a package of towels or napkins, for each person in a family.

“Our organization has a history of working with communities facing natural disasters and have experience with relief efforts,” said Burke. “The association’s first emergency response program was in 1973 when FPI members contributed products to the Managua, Nicaragua earthquake; in the past, we’ve also partnered with the American Red Cross; and our members have donated millions items to various relief efforts.”

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