29/12/2021
7 tips for keeping refrigerated and frozen foods safe during and after a power outage
Here are seven food safety tips for when there is a power outage and afterward:
1. Try to keep the refrigerator and freezer doors as closed as possible.
2. Powerless refrigerators and freezers can be used as old-fashioned "iceboxes." You can use ice (which is available at many grocery stores) to help keep food cold in freezers, refrigerators, or coolers.
3. Separate meat and poultry on one side of the freezer or tray to prevent thawing juices from contaminating each other.
4. Inspect everything and discard anything that appears to be dangerous.
5. Examine the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer. Remove any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or leftovers) that has been above 40°F for two hours or more.
6. Examine each food item individually. If you have partially or completely thawed food in your freezer, it can be safely refrozen or cooked as long as it still contains ice crystals and is 40°F or lower. Check out this FoodSafety.gov chart for a list of foods to toss and foods to refreeze.
7. Discard any food with an unusual odor, color, or texture, or that feels warm to the touch, and never taste a food to determine its safety. When in doubt, toss it. http://ChestFreezer.co.za/
