Food Safety and Security Tips to Prevent Illness Following a Hurricane- or Flood-Related Power Outage from Security Specialists

Given the devastation left by Hurricane Ian in many parts of the country, it’s time to review some basic food protection safety tips in the event you’re impacted by a power outage as a result of flood or other weather-related incident.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, food products stored in refrigerators can go bad in the event of a power outage or storm. To keep you and your family safe, Security Specialists offers these handy tips to protect food and reduce spoilage or contamination if you find yourself in the path of a storm.

1. Double-check the temperature in your refrigerator and freezer before the storm hits and you lose power. Keep refrigerator temperatures at 40°F or lower and freezer temperatures at 0°F or lower to offer a level of protection for your food in the event of a power outage.
2. If the power does go out – Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. A refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if the door is kept closed. A full freezer will hold its temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if half-full).
3. If a storm or power outage is anticipated to linger for any protracted length of time, purchase sufficient amounts of dry ice or block ice to keep food in the freezer and refrigerator cold. Additionally, it’s a good idea to have coolers on hand to keep immediate-use food cold.
4. If you cannot find dry or blocked ice, freeze water in one-quart plastic storage bags or small containers to fit around the food in the refrigerator, freezer, and coolers to help keep food cold. Do not overfill the containers as water expands.
5. Always keep a few days’ worth of ready-to-eat foods that do not require cooking or cooling on-hand.
6. Once the storm passes and power is restored, check the temperature inside of your refrigerator and freezer. Discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or leftovers) that has been above 40°F for two hours or more. Also check frozen food for ice crystals. The food in your freezer that partially or completely thawed may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is 40°F or below.
7. Throw out any food that may have come into contact with flood water including any food that is not in a waterproof container or package.
8. If any food product has an unusual odor, color or texture or feels warm to the touch, throw it out.

 We at Security Specialists Want You and Your Family to Stay Safe in the Event of a Power Outage!