Tips for evaluating food safety after power outage

Posted in Food & Recipes / Healthy Recipes & Nutrition

Important
Food-Safety Tips

An appliance failure or power outages such as those that occurred during recent winter storms can compromise food safety.

"When in doubt, throw it out," said Karen Blakeslee, Kansas State University Research and Extension food scientist. Blakeslee also shared this list of food safety evaluation tips from the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

Never taste a food to determine its safety.

Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain low temperatures. If unopened, a refrigerator will remain safely cold for about four hours. With its door closed, a full freezer will hold temperature for about 48 hours (a half-full one, for 24 hours). Each door opening causes a significant loss of cold air.

After four hours without power or at temperatures above 40 degrees, discard refrigerated perishable foods, such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers and deli items.

Food is safe to refreeze if it still contains ice crystals or it is 40 degrees or colder.

"While dry or block ice can keep your refrigerator and freezer as cold as possible when the power may be out for a prolonged period of time, obtaining either during a storm can be a problem," said Linda Walter, K-State Research and Extension agent in Garden City, Kan.

When her area was hit by recent winter storms, Walter advised consumers to take advantage of the weather and freeze water in plastic containers such as a bucket or milk jug to help cool food in the refrigerator or freezer.

If the power has been out for several days, check the temperature on the freezer´s appliance or food thermometer to find out if the food is at 40 degrees or below (safe). Or, if you haven´t been keeping a thermometer in the freezer, check each package of food for ice crystals to determine its safety.