Blackout has effect on safety of food

  • Published
  • By 60th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
  • 60th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  A base-wide power outage is scheduled for Sunday and the required maintenance may take up to nine hours.

The public health flight at David Grant USAF Medical Center offers these pointers to help keep families 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 such as meat, eggs, 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, according to public health experts.

"Refrigerated potentially hazardous foods must be stored at or below 41 degrees, and hot-cooked, potentially hazardous food must be maintained at 140 degrees or above" said Lt. Col. Natalie Johns, 60th Aerospace Medicine Squadron public health officer.

Frozen foods must be maintained at frozen temperatures. Johns also said to leave refrigerator and freezer doors closed during a power outage because cold air can escape causing the foods inside to reach unsafe temperatures.

"Your refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if kept unopened, but temperature should also be considered when making a decision on the food's safety," Johns 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 return of power and to monitor temperatures day to day to ensure appliances maintain optimal temperatures.

Johns cautions Travis members to discard any potentially hazardous food items that have been kept above 41 degrees for four hours or more, reached a temperature of 45 degrees or higher for any length of time or have an unusual color, odor or texture.

Placing ice, dry ice or frozen gel packs in the 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.

Johns also said Travis members should try not 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 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.

· Lunch meats 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.

People also should discard open mayonnaise, tartar sauce or horseradish if it was kept above 50 degrees for more than eight hours.

"Never taste food to determine its safety," Johns said. "When in doubt, throw it out."

The following foods may be kept at room temperature a few days, but if they turn moldy or have an unusual odor, toss them:

· 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," Johns said. "Thawed foods that don't contain ice crystals but have been kept at 40 degrees or below for two days or less may be cooked, then refrozen or canned."

For more information, call public health 423-5464 or 423-5470.