It is the time of year to
prepare for storms and possible power outages.
Maintaining proper
refrigeration of food is a concern during power outages. Frozen and refrigerated food supplies need to
be evaluated carefully during and after a power outage to make sure that the
food is safe to eat. Water safety could
also be a concern. Boil orders are a precautionary measure due to the
possibility that contaminated water may have entered the distribution system as
a result of losing pressure.
Be
Prepared:
- Have a refrigerator thermometer.
- Know where you can get dry ice.
- Keep on hand a few days worth of ready-to-eat foods that do not require cooking or cooling, which depend on electricity.
When
the Power Goes Out:
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed
as much as possible.
- The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4
hours if it is unopened.
- Refrigerators should be kept at 40° F or below for proper food storage.
Once the Power is Restored:
- Check the temperature inside of your
refrigerator and freezer.
- If an appliance thermometer was kept in the
freezer, check the temperature when the power comes back on. If the
freezer thermometer reads 40° F or below, the food is safe and may be
refrozen.
- If a thermometer has not been kept in the
freezer, check each package of food to determine its safety. You can't
rely on appearance or odor. If the food still contains ice crystals or is
40° F or below, it is safe to refreeze or cook.
- Refrigerated food should be safe as long as the
power was out for no more than 4 hours. Keep the door closed as much as
possible.
·
Discard any
perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs or leftovers) that has been
above 40° F for two hours or more.
Water
Water may not be safe to drink or cook with; however,
unless told otherwise by local officials it should be safe for bathing,
cleaning, etc.
·
Listen to and
follow public announcements. Local authorities will tell you if tap water is
safe to drink or to use for cooking or bathing. If the water is not safe to
use, follow local instructions to use bottled water or to boil or disinfect
water for cooking, cleaning, or bathing. Boil water notices known to the Department of
Health are listed on its website: http://www.healthyarkansas.com/eng/autoupdates/boilordr.htm
·
If a boil order
is issued for your area, water used for drinking or food preparation must be
boiled briskly for one (1) minute prior to use.
·
All ice water
should be discarded, and only boiled or disinfected water used to make ice.
·
Use only
bottled, boiled, or treated water for drinking, cooking or preparing food,
washing dishes, cleaning, brushing your teeth, washing your hands, making ice,
and bathing until your water supply is tested and found safe. If your water
supply is limited, you can use alcohol-based hand sanitizer for washing your
hands.
·
If
you use bottled water, be sure it came from a safe source. If you do not know
that the water came from a safe source, you should boil or treat it before you
use it.
Feeding Infants and Young Children
·
Breastfed
infants should continue breastfeeding.
·
For formula-fed infants,
use ready-to-feed formula if possible. If using ready-to-feed formula is not
possible, it is best to use bottled water to prepare powdered or concentrated
formula.
·
If bottled water
is not available, use boiled water. Use treated water to prepare formula only
if you do not have bottled or boiled water.
·
If
you prepare formula with boiled water, let the formula cool sufficiently before
giving it to an infant.
·
Clean
feeding bottles and nipples with bottled, boiled, or treated water before each
use.
·
Wash
your hands before preparing formula and before feeding an infant. You can use
alcohol-based hand sanitizer for washing your hands if the water supply is
limited.
If you have
questions or concerns, please contact the environmental health specialist at
your local Arkansas Department of Health county office or your local water
utility office. For a complete listing of AHD offices and phone numbers, go to:
http://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programsServices/localPublicHealthOffices/Pages/default.aspx
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
http://www.foodsafety.gov/
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline: 1-888-MPHotline. (Available for consumers’ questions and concerns about food safety.)
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