Keeping your food safe when power goes off

If you anticipate a power outage, keep all your food in the freezer. This will ensure that it stays fresh for a longer period of time. NET Photo

One of the biggest inconveniences of intermittent power outages is the contents of the fridge. Know-ing how to handle food while the power is off and when it has been restored will help to ensure that you do not throw out food or get food poisoning from consuming spoilt food.
Sheila Karungi, a nutritionist, says it is important to keep frozen food at a minimum temperature of -18°C because this temperature slows down natural processes and deters the growth of bacteria. One way of keeping the fridge and food frozen longer is keeping frozen bottles of water in your freezer.
“Always keep bottles or food-safe plastic containers frozen for such emergencies. In case you do not have, buy bags of ice to keep in your freezer to help maintain its temperature. If your freezer has an ice maker empty the ice cubes into storage bags each time the tray is full. You can also consider buying dry ice in the event of a power outage,” she advises.
She also recommends grouping all of your frozen food together in your freezer if you are anticipating a power outage. This will help keep your food colder for a longer period of time.
“If you have food items such as meat or milk in the fridge, transfer them to the freezer where it will be kept at a safe temperature for a longer period of time. Also make sure the meats are at the bottom so that their juices do not drip onto other foods when they begin to thaw,” Karungi advises.

Keep freezer closed
James Ngogolo, an electrician, urges against opening the freezer unnecessarily during a power outage. “Every time you open the freezer door, cold air escapes thus increasing the rate at which the ice thaws. A fully stocked upright freezer will stay frozen up to 48 hours if it stays unopened,” Ngogolo says.
Since most fridges do not have actual thermometers, Ngogolo recommends keeping appliance ther-mometers inside the fridge to help you know the actual temperature for better planning.
Cook the food that is beginning to thaw to ensure safety. Beef, veal, lamb, pork and ham should be cooked to 145º F while poultry and ground meat mixtures should be cooked to 165º F. It is fine to ei-ther serve the food immediately or refreeze the cooked food but it should be consumed within two days or freeze the leftovers immediately.
Tit bits
• When there is a power outage, you need to take extra measures to reduce the risk of food-related illness.
• If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, check each package of food to determine its safety. You cannot rely on appearance or odour.
• Foods that have partly defrosted or defrosted but remain very cold (5 °C or less) can be refrozen.
• Canned foods are safe to eat if you see no leakage or bulging from the seams of the can. If mould or off odour are present when opened, throw the canned food out.
• Eat or refreeze fruits if they taste and smell good.
• Do not refreeze thawed vegetables because they can be toxic once the bacteria multiply.
• Meat and poultry become unsafe to eat when they start to spoil. They will smell. Throw out if the freezer temperature has exceeded 45 degrees F for two hours or longer. Discard all stuffed poultry.
• Fish and shellfish are extremely perishable. Do not re-freeze unless ice crystals remain throughout the package.
Source: foodsafety.asn.au