Base power outage -- Keep your food safe! Published March 10, 2009 By 60th Aerospace Medicine Squadron 60th Medical Group TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A base-wide power outage is scheduled for March 15 and the required maintenance may take up to five hours. The Public Health Flight at David Grant USAF Medical Center offers these pointers to help 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 that support the rapid and progressive growth of disease-causing bacteria. Examples include high-protein items like meat, eggs and dairy or foods that contain these items. Food-borne illnesses can be caused by agents that multiply rapidly in foods when held in the "temperature danger zone," which is between 42 degrees and 139 degrees Fahrenheit, according to public health experts. "Refrigerated potentially hazardous food must be stored at or below 41 degrees Fahrenheit, and hot cooked potentially hazardous food must be maintained at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or above," said Captain Tomas Widemond, 60th Aerospace Medicine Squadron's Public Health Officer. Frozen foods must be maintained at frozen temperatures. "Most importantly, leave refrigerator and freezer doors closed during a power outage because every time you open it, cold air escapes, causing the foods inside to reach unsafe temperatures," explained Captain Widemond. "Your refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if unopened, but temperature should also be considered when making a decision on the food's safety," he said. A full freezer will keep its temperature for approximately 48 hours, and a half-full freezer will keep its temperature for approximately 24 hours if the doors remain closed. Keeping an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer is a good way to monitor temperatures upon the return of power and for monitoring temperatures day-to-day to ensure your appliance is maintaining optimal temperatures. Captain Widemond cautions Team Travis members to discard any potentially hazardous food items that have been kept above 41 degrees Fahrenheit for four hours or more, reached a temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for any length of time, or has an unusual color, odor or texture. Placing ice, dry ice or frozen gel packs in your refrigerator or freezer prior to the power loss will help improve cooling during the outage. Moving refrigerated food to a freezer is another option to keep food safe. Captain Widemond also noted that Team Travis members should try not to do any major grocery shopping for foods requiring refrigeration or freezing until after the outage and remember that canned and dry goods do well without refrigeration. The following foods should be discarded if they reach a temperature above 41 degrees Fahrenheit for more than four hours, or if the temperature exceeds 45 degrees 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 ·Lunchmeats and hot dogs · Cream-based foods · Custard, chiffon, pumpkin or cheese pies · Cream-filled pastries · Cookie dough made with eggs · Whipped butter · Cut melons · Cooked vegetables You should also discard open mayonnaise, tartar sauce or horseradish if it was kept above 50 degrees Fahrenheit for more than eight hours. "Never taste food to determine its safety," said Captain Widemond. "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," explained Captain Widemond. "Thawed foods that don't contain ice crystals but have been kept at degrees Fahrenheit or below for two days or less may be cooked, then refrozen or canned." For additional information, contact Public Health at 423-5464.