Food safety during power outages
Contact: Joan Hegerfeld-Baker
Phone: (605) 688-6233
Friday, November 7, 2008
Winter weather is a continual reminder to area residents to be prepared for events such as power outages.
South Dakota State University Extension Food Safety Specialist Joan Hegerfeld-Baker said the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has detailed information about food safety during emergencies at this Web site: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Keeping_Food_Safe_During_an_Emergency/index.asp.
Hegerfeld-Baker said these are some key points to keep in mind:
Assemble a seven-day emergency food supply by taking the recommended servings per day from each food group and multiply that by the number of people in your family. Choose foods that do not involve heating/cooking and are not perishable.
Canned foods can include vegetables, fruit, meat (poultry, fish and red meat), canned meat mixtures (such as spaghetti), juice, soups containing noodles and rice, beans. Make sure you have a can opener as well.
Also include ready-to-eat cereals and instant hot cereals and milk – powdered and/or evaporated. Dried fruit, nuts, peanut butter, and crackers are other possibilities.
Other supplies to have on hand for an emergency include prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, baby formula and baby food.
During a power outage, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. A refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about four hours if it is unopened, while a freezer, if full, will stay cold for about 48 hours if the door stays closed. Use dry or block ice to keep your refrigerator or freezer as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic foot full freezer for two days.
Placing foods in the snow to keep cold has additional risks. Frozen food can thaw if it is exposed to the sun's rays even when the temperature is very cold, allowing foodborne bacteria to grow. Instead, take advantage of the cold temperatures by making ice. Fill buckets, empty milk cartons, plastic sealing bags or cans with water and leave them outside to freeze. Then put the homemade ice in your refrigerator, freezer, or coolers.
AgBio Communications Unit
South Dakota State University
ACC, Box 2231, Rm 200
Brookings, SD 57007
Telephone: (605) 688-4653
Lance.Nixon@sdstate.edu