Whether it’s a flood, tornado, earthquake or hurricane, an estimated 90 percent of Americans now live in locations that are at a high or moderate risk of being hit by a major natural disaster.

Government officials and experts agree that all Americans should put together a kit of supplies, including bottled water, first aid items and food, to sustain them in case of an emergency. An ideal part of that kit – and one that should be included – is canned and pouched tuna.

Tuna is ready to eat right out of the can, packed with essential nutrients, has a long shelf life (up to four years) and is generally well tolerated by eaters of any age.

In fact, canned and pouched tuna seems like the perfect food choice to match emergency preparedness recommendations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on their preparedness web site: www.ready.gov.

Among the recommendations the government makes are:

• “Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food” – canned and pouched tuna is non-perishable and has a long shelf life and sturdy packaging
• “Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking and little or no water” – canned and pouched tuna require no refrigeration before opening and are ready to eat right from the can or pouch
• The government also recommends foods that are “ready-to-eat canned” items, foods that contain vitamins and “comfort/stress” foods – canned and pouched tuna, loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and other vitamins, are a comfort food for all ages that fits the bill

So, when preparing your emergency preparedness kit, be sure to include the food that can weather any storm – canned or pouched tuna. Just be sure to remember a manual can opener!

For more information on how to create your emergency preparedness kit visit www.ready.gov.