The emergency preparedness membership theme for August is "Living without Power". Please share ideas of things to do or not do during a power outage. here are some food safety tips for your fridge and freeze without power.
Do Not Open
When the power goes out, a refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if UNOPENED.
A full freezer will hold the temperature for up to two days if the door remains CLOSED.
Over 250 diseases are caused by bacteria found in contaminated food. After a long power outage, you can NOT rely on appearance or odor for food safety.
Never taste food to determine if it’s safe; use a food thermometer instead.
Discard all perishable foods (meat, milk, soft cheeses, cooked leftovers) that have been above 40° F for 2 hours.
Discard items that have come into contact with raw meat juices.
If frozen food still contains ice crystals or is below 40 °F, it is safe to refreeze; otherwise toss it.
You can help preserve your food by moving items you must use (like milk for the children) into a cooler with ice. Then wrap tape or rope around your fridge and freezer to keep it closed from prying fingers.
Other ideas to consider.
- Use flashlights and electric lanterns instead of candles. The Red Cross sees way too many house fires caused by candles.
- During extreme heat listen to the radio (hand cranked or battery powered) for the locations of local cooling centers.
- Ditto for exteme cold, find out where heated shelters are. Or visit a church member with a working fireplace.
- Do not use charcoal indoors for heat or cooking - this can be deadly.
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