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 Food Safety with a Power Outage
(2 minutes: 46 seconds)
WMV (high speed video)
(2 minutes: 46 seconds)
WMV (dial-up
video)
(2 minutes: 46 seconds)
 WMA (audio
only)
Audio/Video Script:
Dr. Denise Brochetti
Extension Nutrition Specialist
[Pictures of damaged houses, flooding, and ice covered trees] Loss of power can happen anytime of the year.
Tornadoes, hurricanes, ice storms, and floods can cause power outages, and this
can jeopardize the safety of your food. [Dr. Brochetti] Knowing how to
handle food during a power
outage can help reduce your chances of getting foodborne illness, and it can
also help you cut down on the amount of food that you will need to throw out because
of spoilage.
[Picture of a refrigerator] Storing food safely during an outage can be a
challenge, and it becomes even more challenging when the power is out for days
at a time. If you know to expect a storm, plan ahead.
-
Make sure you have an appliance
thermometer in your refrigerator and freezer. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or
below and the freezer at 0°F.
-
Have coolers on hand to keep
refrigerated food cold if you think the power will be out for more than 4 hours.
-
You can buy ice, freeze water for ice,
or freeze gel packs to put in the coolers when the power is out.
-
And finally, group food together in the
freezer because this will help the food stay cold longer.
And when the power goes out, here are some things
you can do.
- First, never taste food to determine
whether or not it is safe. Unsafe food often does not look or taste bad, but it
contains organisms that can make you sick.
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors
closed as much as possible.
- The refrigerator will keep food cold
enough to keep it safe for about 4 hours, and a full freezer will keep the
temperature cold enough for about 48 hours.
- But, if the freezer is only half full,
then the food will only stay cold enough for 24 hours.
- After 4 hours without power, throw out
perishable foods, such as meat, poultry, fish, milk, leftovers, and deli foods
that had been kept in the refrigerator.
- If the power has been out for several
days, then check the temperature of the freezer. If the food still contains ice
crystals or is at 40°F or below, the food is safe, and it can be refrozen when
the power returns.
[Dr. Brochetti] And finally, if you are ever in doubt about the
safety of food, throw it out! It isn't worth the risk.
[Narrator] To learn more, contact your county extension agent and follow
the links in this section.
Related Links
Back to Food
Safety |
