When Hurricane Sandy caused over a million people to lose power for days or weeks from the Northeast to the Midwest, those who had a stockpile of freeze-dried food were extremely grateful for it.
Several relieved residents recounted their experiences to the company they'd purchased food from. One New Jersey resident said containers of freeze-dried food and cooking equipment kept his family going for two weeks.
“When Hurricane Sandy came through it took out power to my home for 14 days. Stores ran out of food within 3 to 4 hours within a 400-mile radius and gas stations ran out of fuel within the hour and none were open for weeks. Your emergency kit with the burners and your buckets [of freeze-dried food] are the reason why my family had food for four weeks. It took that long to restock all the shelves in all supermarkets.”
Another customer from northeast Ohio said he lost power almost immediately after Sandy hit his area on Oct. 29, 2012.
“Let me tell you it was a godsend to have hot meals … while waiting to get power,” he wrote.
Freeze-drying is a way of preserving food that uses very cold temperatures and a vacuum to remove all the water. The dry food is very lightweight, retains its color, flavor, and can be stored for decades.
Freeze-drying also preserves up to 97 percent of nutrients, making it much healthier than canned food.
