Health News For South West
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Huron County Health Unit - Food Safety
Handling Refrigerated and Frozen Food During a Power Failure
Do not open the refrigerator or freezer door unless absolutely necessary in order to maintain the cold temperature. Do not place hot foods in refrigerators. It is important to know that:
- A full freezer will keep food frozen for about 48 hours. A freezer that is half full will keep food frozen for about 24 hours.
- An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours.
- If available, add ice to the refrigerator to keep the food at a safe temperature if the power will be out for long periods of time.
Discard any thawed food that has been at room temperature for two or more hours, and any food that has an obvious unusual colour or odour. Keep in mind that food contaminated with bacteria does not necessarily smell bad or appear spoiled. Food that still contains ice crystals can be re-frozen. If raw food has leaked during thawing, clean and disinfect the areas the food has touched. Do not reuse the cloths you have used for clean-up until they have been disinfected by washing in hot water.
Media Contact:
Sharon Brown
Huron County Health Unit
519-482-3416 ext 2224
sbrown@huroncounty.ca
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