A. Probably not.

Food safety people at the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection advise throwing away pop-top cans, including beer and soda cans that came into contact with floodwater.

Flooded retailers are required to get rid of such products and not sell them, said Donna Gilson, spokeswoman for the department's Food Safety Division. "It certainly is a good idea for people at home to dispose of them, too," she said.

Contamination from floodwaters can dry under the flip top and be nearly impossible to clean off, she said.

Glass bottles with crimped metal caps present a similar problem, said Barbara Ingham, a UW-Extension food scientist, especially because consumers may put their mouths directly on the bottle.

You can salvage commercially canned foods in all-metal cans, the kind that require a can opener to open, and retort pouches, such as flexible seafood pouches, if the containers are cleaned and sanitized.

To clean undamaged cans, UW-Extension recommends removing labels and washing the cans with soap and hot, clean water. Rinse them with water that is safe for drinking.

Then make a solution of one tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water and soak the cans in it for 15 minutes.

Air-dry the cans for at least one hour.

For more information, see www.uwex.edu/ces/ag/issues.

— Anita Clark

Have a concern? Look for Safe & Sound on Fridays in the Local section. Send questions to: aclark@madison.com; 608-252-6138; Safe and Sound, P.O. Box 8058, Madison, WI 53708.