Winter Meals Security

Ice, freezing rain, snow, or heavy winds could cause energy outages that may put our meals in peril. Many might imagine that as a result of it’s chilly exterior, that our meals will stay secure throughout an influence outage, however that isn’t the case. Meals can nonetheless be uncovered to the “temperature hazard zone”, which is anytime temperature delicate meals is held between 40 and 140°F. When meals is uncovered to this hazard zone, it provides illness-causing microorganisms the time to multiply which might make you and your family members sick.

To organize forward of time, top off on water and non-perishable meals that may be eaten chilly or heated on an outside grill. Be sure to have a hand-held can opener for any canned items and battery-operated thermometers to observe temperatures in your coolers, fridges, and freezers. If in case you have youngsters or pets, remember to top off on ready-to-eat toddler system or child meals and pet meals as effectively.

Group meals in your fridges and freezers collectively to assist them keep chilly for an extended time. You may as well freeze any gadgets that you could be not want immediately like leftovers and recent meat/poultry. Maintain ice packs, stuffed frozen luggage, jugs of water, or luggage of ice within the freezer.

You should use the chilly climate to your benefit to plan. When the climate is chilly sufficient, you possibly can place water in buckets, storage luggage, or jugs and go away them exterior to freeze. They can be utilized to maintain your freezer or fridge chilly if the ability does exit. Be sure to use thermometers to observe temperatures in your coolers or home equipment.

As soon as the ability returns, throw out any meals that has an uncommon odor, colour or texture or feels heat to the contact. By no means style a meals to resolve if it is secure. Throw out any meals that was in a fridge with no energy for 4 hours or extra and something from the freezer that has fully thawed. Test the interior temperature of meals and discard any that have been at 40°F or above for two hours or extra. If the gadgets within the freezer are nonetheless partially frozen, they’re secure to be refrozen. If you’re cautious to not open the freezer too usually, meals ought to keep frozen for about 48 hours in a freezer that’s greater than half approach full, or 24 hours whether it is lower than half full.

You can’t at all times inform if the meals went dangerous simply by an off odor or style. Most illness-causing microorganisms can’t be seen, smelled, or tasted. When unsure, throw it out.

If in case you have any questions on this subject, or any meals security questions, contact your native Penn State Extension Workplace.

Nicole McGeehan is a Penn State Extension educator serving Monroe County and surrounding counties in Northeast Pennsylvania.