When the Power's Out, How Long is Your Food Safe?
By: Stepfanie Romine,
DailySpark Blogger
9/15/2008 11:01 AM
: 29 comments
We interrupt your regularly scheduled dailySpark blog programming to bring you an important announcement about… food safety.
Thanks to Ike and his aftermath, many of us are staring into fridges, freezers and deep freezes, sniffing various unrecognizable food stuffs and wondering whether we should save food or pitch it.
I did a little research about power outages, floods and food safety. Here's what I found, mostly from the USDA and Red Cross:
In case of a power outage:
In case of a flood:
For more information, visit USDA or Red Cross websites.
Have a tip for saving food or keeping it safe? Do you have a power outage/food loss horror story? Share it in the comments below.
Thanks to Ike and his aftermath, many of us are staring into fridges, freezers and deep freezes, sniffing various unrecognizable food stuffs and wondering whether we should save food or pitch it.
I did a little research about power outages, floods and food safety. Here's what I found, mostly from the USDA and Red Cross:
In case of a power outage:
- Don't taste food to see if it's safe. Instead, examine each food item separately.
- Food can be refrozen if the food still contains ice crystals or is at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
- Always keep meat, poultry, fish, and eggs refrigerated at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit and frozen food at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
- The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.
- Use dry or block ice to keep your refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time.
In case of a flood:
- Don't eat any food that could have come into contact with flood water.
- Remove labels if possible; they can harbor dirt and bacteria.
- Thoroughly wash cans or pouches, using water that is safe for drinking.
- Sanitize the cans and pouches by either placing them in boiling water for two minutes or
- Place in water and allow the water to come to a boil and continue boiling for 2 minutes or placing them in a bleach solution (1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water (or the cleanest, clearest water available) for 15 minutes.
- Air-dry cans or pouches for a minimum of 1 hour before opening or storing.
- Be sure to relabel cans and pouches using a permanent marker.
- Use those cans and pouches as soon as possible.
- Discard any food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come into contact with flood water. (That includes foods with screw-caps, snap lids, pull tops, and crimped caps.) Discard cardboard juice/milk/baby formula boxes and home canned foods if they have come in contact with flood water, because they cannot be effectively cleaned and sanitized.
- Discard any damaged cans. Check for swelling, leakage, punctures, holes, fractures, extensive deep rusting, or crushing/denting severe enough to prevent normal stacking or opening with a manual, wheel-type can opener.
For more information, visit USDA or Red Cross websites.
Have a tip for saving food or keeping it safe? Do you have a power outage/food loss horror story? Share it in the comments below.
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Comments
thanks for the info. - 9/20/2008 1:27:03 AM
My solution will be just throw everything away and clean the ref.
Buy fresh food items. - 9/16/2008 12:35:54 AM
On the fourth day of no power, we blocked off our cul-de-sac, brought out our grills and had a "Block Dinner".
One of our neighbors had a generator and we moved two freezers to his garage to keep two freezers full frozen, and we had a "Block Dinner" every night for about 10 days - then it was buy enough for that day until we had power back.
10-12 days of having dinner every night with your neighbors and their families really fused the neighbors together.
In many ways it was like living "back in the old days". Adults didn't hesitate to correct the behavior of children not their own - and to pass the info on to the parents.
Also, any "strange car" driving on our street had people out in the yards - just looking. It probably looked like a scene from "Night of the Living Dead" or something.
The point is - think out of the box and share the food, don't just throw it away. - 9/16/2008 12:08:51 AM
Thanks for the info, it will come in handy in case it happens again. - 9/15/2008 7:23:36 PM
I spent all summer gathering local, organic produce from the farmers market. I spent less $$ than I would have at the supermarket, and I was able to portion blueberries, fresh tomatoes and other veggies for my boyfriend and I. Our freezer was, until yesterday, full of freshly roasted peppers, oven-roasted tomatoes, berries picked by me, and wild Alaskan salmon than went on sale just last week... then the power went out. Thankfully, a friend offered her freezer. My food is safe. Hope yours is, too. - 9/15/2008 6:36:43 PM
This info has been thoroughly practiced here!
Hope and Encouragement goes out to those hard hit by this season’s wind-monsters. I think positive thoughts as power is still out and home does not exist to thousands in many areas. Getting food hot or cold is always a challenge in the early weeks of disaster aftermath. Please think of them and help if you can. My heart goes out to you and yours for think of us after Katrina.
The 4 hour rule does prevent gut pain from bad food in humans and animals. All commercial kitchens must practice this every day and we should too.
I must eat gluten-free; getting Gluten-Free MRE’s (meals-ready-to-eat) do not exist, yet!
We live just blocks from the beach in Mississippi and remain in storm ready status.
Since Ike is a last name in my family we get teased.
Our recent order of a Dairy Queen Ice Cream cake read: OH NO THE BIG 5-0! THIS IS GOING TO MAKE THE BURNING OF ATLANTA LOOK LIKE A BONFIRE!
The pick- up person was an “Ike”, the clerks thought this cake was for a hurricane party and Hurricane Ike was the theme, not my 50th birthday! They assumed a fire-storm; one that would to rival the Civil War Yankee horror of THE BURNING OF ATLANA would result.
Steph, Thanks for the food tips.
- 9/15/2008 6:17:26 PM
9/15/2008
After having the power come back on after being off for 24 hours this article couldn't have come with better timing. Thanks!! - 9/15/2008 3:01:04 PM
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