How to Rotate Food in an Emergency Food Stockpile

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By eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (3 Ratings)

Building and maintaining an emergency food stockpile is a wise investment. Just as you purchase home owners insurance and automobile insurance to protect yourself against fires and car accidents, an emergency food stockpile protects your family against supply interruptions caused by hurricanes, pandemics, terrorism or even something as mundane but devastating as an extended period of unemployment. However, it's important to rotate the food in your stockpile to prevent spoilage.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Step 1

Inventory your stockpile so you know what you have on hand. You don't need to include the specific brand (say, Heinz), but do include the product type (ketchup), container type (bottle), size and number of containers on hand.
Step 2

Print this inventory and store it where you can update it as you remove products from or add products to your stockpile.
Step 3

Put the items in your emergency food stockpile in order according to type of product. Within each type of product, place the items in order by expiration date with those expiring soonest in the front and those with the longest expiration dates in the very back.
Step 4

Use items that are set to expire first. This ensures a good rotation.
Step 5

Buy new emergency food to replace those items you have used. When you purchase new food, check the expiration dates to make sure they are as far out as you can get.
Step 6

Move existing emergency food stockpile items forward on the shelf, and place the newly purchased items in the back.

Tips & Warnings

Remember to update your inventory each time you use or replace items in your stockpile. Some people prefer to do this manually. Others prefer to keep the inventory in a spreadsheet. If you're a spreadsheet kind of person, keep a sheet of paper near the stockpile pantry so you and others can jot down the name and quantity of items they use or replace. You can then use that information to update your spreadsheet at your convenience.
If you have food in your stockpile that is set to expire and you don't think you'll get to use it in time, donate it to a food bank. It will get used and gratefully so.

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