If you experience a power outage, you might be wondering if the food in your refrigerator or freezer is still safe to eat. The answer is, “probably not” according to the Louisiana State University AgCenter.
A press release sent out by the center said to, “Discard any perishable food, such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers that have been higher than 40 degrees F for two hours. This will be true of most food in your refrigerator if the power was off for more than four hours.”
Your greatest weapon against food spoilage during a power outage is preparation. Here are some tips from LSU and Nutritionist and food safety expert Beth Reames:
Don’t open the refrigerator or freezer door!
Your unopened refrigerator will still keep your food cold for up to four hours. A full freezer will keep food cold for 48 hours if unopened and a half-full freezer will keep food cold for 24 hours. The more you open the door, the more cool air escapes. Use portable coolers and place items you use most in those coolers in order to protect the majority of your food.
Use a thermometer
Keep an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer. Before on outage strikes, make sure that your freezer is set at or below 0 degrees and your refrigerator is at or below 40 degrees.
Buy Dry or Blocked ice
For prolonged periods of power loss, buy dry or blocked ice to keep your fridge or freezer as cold as possible. “Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic-foot full freezer for two days,” according to Reames.
Keep ice packs on hand
Freeze plastic jugs of ice or gel packs and make sure you always have ice on hand for such emergencies. Use these things to keep food cold during a power outage.
For more tips on food safety during power outages, visit http://www.lsuagcenter.com/.
Read the full story online: “Tips might help save your food when next storm hits.“
Categories: Freezer · Refrigerator Parts · Safety
Tagged: blackout, food, food safety, Freezer, frige, hurricane, loss, outage, power, Refrigerator, safe, spoilage
The recent rash of stories about tainted food products has heightened awareness of the need for better food safety and monitoring. While we depend on food makers, growers and producers along with government agencies such as the FDA to keep us safe, we need to also insure that the food we buy is prepared and cared for properly once we leave the market.
According to this story from MSN Health and Fitness, “Food Safety Fears? Look in Your Fridge,” “experts say that it is far more common to get a foodborne illness (food poisoning) from food that has become contaminated in our homes.”
Here are some tips from the story to make sure that you are storing food properly.
- “The temperature inside your refrigerator should be 40ºF or below, and your freezer 0ºF or below. Temperatures beyond this allow harmful bacteria to multiply.” Purchase a refrigerator/freezer thermometer in order to check for proper temperatures.
- If your refrigerator or freezers temperatures often go beyond the safe limits, your refrigerators door seal or gasket might have a crack or leak in it. Check the seal around the door. The story says to, “Close the door and then tug on it gently. There should be some resistance as you open it.”
- “If the refrigerator door seals dry out and crack, that allows condensation to build, which is a perfect breeding ground for mold.”
- Store milk and eggs inside the refrigerator rather than in the door compartment of the refrigerator. Studies have found that the door compartment of the refrigerator is warmer than the rest of the fridge.
- Clean out your fridge on a regular basis. Toss expired food and old leftovers. Clean and dry your refrigerator, paying special attention to produce bins where bacteria are likely to grow.
- Make sure your refrigerator is running and cooling properly. If you refrigerator feels warm or your freezer is packed with ice, it may be signs that something is wrong and it should be fixed right away. There are some things you can do and fix yourself so that your refrigerator is cooling correctly.
As for preparing food to be eaten, here are a few tips from The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse that appeared in an article from U.S. News and World Report, “Health Tip: Prepare Food Carefully”
- “Don’t leave any food out for more than two hours. Either refrigerate or freeze leftovers, or throw them away after two hours.”
- “Don’t allow food to thaw at room temperature. Ideally, let it thaw over time in the refrigerator. For a quick defrost, run the food under cool water or put it in the microwave.”
There are other great tips in this short article, read it and make sure you are following them all.
For more information:
Categories: Appliance Parts · Freezer · Health · Refrigerator Parts · Safety · Tips
Tagged: appliance, food borne illness, food sickness, food storage, Freezer, ice build up in freezer, refrigerator replacement parts, refrigerator won't cool, repair parts, Safety, what temperature should my freezer be, what temperature should my refrigerator be
