IN ANTICIPATION OF A POWER FAILURE:
• Have at least one or two coolers on hand, and at least one spare 5-pound bag of ice in the freezer.
• Know where to get bag, block ork if youf
dry ice quickly when you need it, particularly
dioxide, so it requires safe handling. Never breathe in its vapors or touch it with your bare hands.) According to the Food Safety Branch of Kentucky’s of Health, a 50-pound block ofk freezer cool for up to two days.
anticipate a long-term outage. (Caution: Dry ice is made from carbon f
Department f dry ice will keep a tightly packed, 18-cubic-foot
• Have an instant food thermometer or appliance thermometer available to ensure your freezers, refrigerators and coolers are staying cool enough store food safely.
• Arrange the refrigerator and freezer efficiently. Frozen food will last longer in a full freezer—up to 48 hours if tightlyf longer—up to four hours—if theref
packed—and refrigerated food will last is room for air to circulate around items.
WHEN THE ELECTRICITY GOES OFF:
• Avoid opening and closing the refrigerator unless absolutely necessary. • Cook andk • Check thek
use perishable food before using canned food. temperature of refrigeratedf
foods if thef power is out for more than a
few hours. Discard any food item than has been at 40° F or warmer for two or more hours. Exceptions include butter and margarine; hard cheeses like parmesan and Romano; some condiments like mustard, peanut butter, soy sauce, olives and vinegar-based salad dressing; and fresh, uncooked fruits and vegetables.
• Check thek temperature of frozenf foods as well. While tightly packed freezer foods
will stay frozen formany hours, some items thatmay have thawed can be refrozen if they still retain ice crystals or have remained at a temperature lower than 40°. Fruit and vegetable juices; breads, rolls and pie crusts; flour, cornmeal and nuts; meat and chicken; and prepared foods and casseroles can be refrozen safely if they have not been at 40° F or warmer for more than two hours.
• After the power comes back on,k
and freezer by washing surfaces with a solution of 2f tablespoons baking soda dissolved in a quart of warmf
you may need to deodorize the refrigerator water. Place an open box of baking soda inside the
refrigerator to absorb any lingering odors.
Since the appearance and odor of af food item isn’t an accurate indication of itsf safety after a power outage, use the 40° rule-of-thumb. When in doubt, discard the food.
While the power can go out any time, many power failures occur in the late fall and winter. But no matter when our community experiences an outage—and it inevitably will—knowing how tow handle frozen and refrigerated foods can help us keep your food supplies safe until the lights come back on.k
www.cai-illinois.org • 847.301.7505 | 15
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