The Virginia Department
of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) has advice for Virginians about
food safety before, during and after power outages that may be caused by
Hurricane Sandy. Sandy appears to be on track to
cause power outages in eastern Virginia, and depending on the track she takes
up the east coast, throughout the entire state.
VDACS' food safety
experts have a lot of advice, but here is Tip #1: when in doubt, throw it out.
Second to that is, throw out suspect contents of your refrigerator and check
food in your freezer carefully to be sure it's still safe to eat when power is
restored.
They also suggest some
actions consumers can take prior to a storm to help prevent spoilage or ruined
food. People who have large, chest type freezers should make certain that the
freezer is full. If it is not, they can freeze containers of water to fill
unused space and then if the power goes out, throw a blanket, rug or some other
insulating materials over the freezer. A full freezer that is not opened should
maintain safe temperatures for several days.
A smaller freezer in a
refrigerator will not maintain safe temperatures as long as a chest freezer, but
if it is full and not opened, food could remain safe for a couple of days.
After the storm, VDACS'
food inspectors will inspect food processors, grocery stores and other retail
stores in affected areas to ensure food safety. However, individual consumers
also need to be aware that the potential for foodborne illness at home grows
every day that the power is out.
VDACS offers
the following basic tips for keeping food
safe to eat during a power outage:
- ·
Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed
as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
- o
The refrigerator will keep food
cold for about four
hours if it is unopened. With that window having passed,
consumers will need to discard most of the items in the
refrigerator.
- o
A full freezer will keep the
temperature for approximately 48
hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains
closed.
- o
Buy dry or block ice to keep the
refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged
period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should keep an 18-cubic foot
fully-stocked freezer cold for two days.
- ·
If you plan to eat refrigerated or frozen
meat, poultry, fish or eggs while it is still at safe temperatures, it's
important to cook each item
thoroughly to the proper
temperature to assure that any foodborne bacteria that may
be present is destroyed. However, if at any point the food was above 40° F for
two hours or more, discard it.
- ·
Wash fruits and
vegetables with water from a safe source before
eating.
- ·
For infants, try to use prepared, canned baby formula that requires no
added water. When using concentrated or powdered formulas, prepare
with bottled water if the local water source is potentially
contaminated.
Once power is restored, consumers will need
to determine whether their food is safe to eat using these
guidelines:
- If an appliance
thermometer was kept in the freezer, check the temperature when the power
comes back on. If the freezer thermometer reads 40° F or below, the food is safe
and may be refrozen.
- If a thermometer has not
been kept in the freezer, check each
package of food to determine its safety. You can't rely on
appearance or odor. If the food still
contains ice crystals or is 40° F or below, it is safe to
refreeze or cook.
- Refrigerated food is
likely safe as long as the power was out for no more than four hours and the
refrigerator door was kept shut. If the four-hour window has passed, discard any
remaining perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs or
leftovers.
Keep in mind
that perishable food such as meat, poultry, seafood, milk and eggs that are not
kept adequately refrigerated or frozen may cause illness if consumed, even when
they are thoroughly cooked. Never taste food to determine its safety, and always
discard any items in the refrigerator that have come into contact with raw meat
juices.
The following foods are
safe to consume even if they have been held above 40° F for two hours or more:
hard cheeses, processed cheeses, grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, jelly,
relish, mustard, olives, pickles, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, fruit pies, bread,
rolls, cakes, muffins, fruit juices, canned fruits, whole fresh fruits and raw
vegetables except cut greens and cut tomatoes.
For more detailed
information regarding which food items are safe to consume after an extended
power outage, go to www.foodsafety.gov or www.foodsafetyinfosheets.com.
