Letters
Emergency medicine Metabolic diseases
Volume 188 - Issue 11

A food “lifeboat”: food and nutrition considerations in the event of a pandemic or other catastrophe

Authors:  Jennie C Brand-Miller, Jennifer McArthur and Anna Haug

Med J Aust 2008; 188 (11): 679. || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb01838.x
Published online: 2 June 2008
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In reply: Dalton et al have raised several important points for discussion. They suggest that an adequate food “lifeboat” can be procured by simply encouraging a family to continue their usual purchasing patterns. Unfortunately, accumulating non-perishable items in this way would be a fast route to certain nutritional deficiency. It is the perishable items — fruit and vegetables, bread, meat and dairy products — that supply the bulk of micronutrients in modern food supplies. Within a few short months, an individual relying on usual pantry supplies could be suffering from acute deficiencies of vitamin C, and folate and other B vitamins. Babies conceived during this period would be at risk of neurological defects.

We agree that an important issue is the possibility of failure of the mains water. Indeed, many of the foods in our list require water for cooking (rice, pasta etc). Rainwater tanks and the ability to sterilise water by gas heating or chemical means may be lifesavers. We agree that governments should be actively promoting appropriate stockpiling in homes, places of employment and in areas of essential infrastructure.

Authors

  • Jennie C Brand-Miller1
  • Jennifer McArthur1
  • Anna Haug1
  • 1. School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW.

Correspondence: J.Brandmiller@mmb.usyd.edu.au

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