Food safety in a power outage Published July 22, 2007 By Courtesy of 1st SOMDG 1st SOMDG Hurlburt Field, Florida -- A base wide power outage is scheduled for Sunday, and the required maintenance and may take up to 10 hours. Here are a few pointers that will help you keep you and your family safe from potential problems due to a lack of proper refrigeration of perishable food at work and home. Keep foods at safe temperatures Potentially hazardous foods are those foods that support the rapid and progressive growth of disease-causing bacteria such as high-protein foods like meat, eggs and dairy. Food-borne illnesses can be caused by agents that multiply rapidly in foods held in the temperature danger zone, which is above 41 degrees above zero to below 140 degrees zero Fahrenheit. Refrigerated potentially hazardous foods must be stored at or below 41F. Frozen foods must be maintained frozen. Hot cooked potentially hazardous food must be maintained at 140F or above. If possible, don't do any major grocery shopping until after the outage and remember that canned and dry goods do well without refrigeration. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours, and a half-full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 24 hours if the door remains closed. Food in refrigerators should be safe as long as the power is out no more than four to six hours. Leave the door closed because every time you open it, cold air escapes, causing the foods inside to reach unsafe temperatures. Discard any potentially hazardous food that has been above 41F for four hours or more, reached a temperature of 45F or higher for any length of time or has an unusual color, odor or texture. If it appears the power will be off for more than six hours, ice, dry ice or frozen gel packs can be used to keep potentially hazardous foods at 41F or below. Moving refrigerated food to a freezer is another option to keep food safe. The following foods in refrigerators and freezers should be discarded if they reached a temperature above 41F for more than four hours, or if the temperature exceeds 45F for any length of time: · meat, poultry, fish, eggs and egg substitutes - raw or cooked · milk, cream, yogurt and soft cheese · casseroles, stews or soups · lunch meats and hot dogs · creamy-based foods made on-site · custard, chiffon, pumpkin or cheese pies · cream-filled pastries · cookie dough made with eggs · whipped butter · cut melons · cooked vegetables · discard open mayonnaise, tartar sauce and horseradish if above 50F for more than eight hours. Never taste food to determine its safety - when in doubt, throw it out! The following foods should keep at room temperature a few days but if it turns moldy or has an unusual odor, toss it. butter or margarine hard and processed cheeses fresh fruits and vegetables dried fruits and coconut opened jars of vinegar-based salad dressings, jelly, relish, taco sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, ketchup, olives and peanut butter fruit juices fresh herbs and spices fruit pies, breads, rolls and muffins cakes, except cream cheese-frosted or cream-filled flour and nuts Thawed foods that still contain ice crystals may be refrozen. Thawed foods that don't contain ice crystals but have been kept at 40F or below for two days or less, may be cooked, then refrozen or canned.