Department of Health
With summer on the way, the Central Australia HealthService is reminding people living in Central Australia to take note of foodsafety.
The recent power outage in Alice Springs is atimely cue that food safety is vital for the wellbeing of you and your family,Environmental Health Manager Fiona Smith said.
Beingprepared is the key to food safety during power outages so make sure you have enoughdried or shelf-stable foo in the pantry to last 72 hours. You can then supplementthis by utilising produce from your fridge first, and then the contents of yourfreezer.
Ifthe water supply has been disrupted then you should use water that has beenboiled or bottled water for food preparation, Ms Smith said.
Take note of following food safety tips, but themost important thing to remember is If InDoubt Throw It Out!
What to do DURING A POWEROUTAGE
Record the timethe power outage starts to know how long food has been without refrigeration.
Keep therefrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible and only open whenabsolutely necessary. This will keep the food and air temperature colder forlonger.
Placerefrigerated food together to keep food cool/colder longer.
Place meat,poultry or fish in the coldest section of the refrigerator, making sure it doesnot drip onto fresh fruit and vegetables or other ready-to-eat foods.
If necessary,use ice to help keep the food cold.
How long will my food staycold?
A closedrefrigerator should keep food cool for foursix hours.
Kept closed, afull freezer should keep food frozen for up to 48 hours, while a half-fullfreezer should keep your food frozen for up to 24 hours.
The rate ofthawing depends on:
– the amount offood in the freezer remember a full freezer stays colder than one that ispartially full.
– the temperatureof the food the colder the food, the longer it will stay frozen.
– the size andinsulation of the freezer.
If cooking was interrupted by THEpower failure
Discard foodthat was being cooked when the power outage started.
In the case ofproperly cooked hot food, eat it within four hours or throw it out.
Do not put hotfood in your refrigerator or freezer since this will cause the refrigerator orfreezer to warm up much faster.
What to do when the powercomes back on
If the poweris restored within four to six hours and the refrigerator/freezer doors haveremained closed, some of the food may still be suitable for use. Use athermometer to check if thetemperature of food in the freezer is 0oC or lower or if icecrystals are visible in the food. If so,the food can be re-frozen, otherwise throw out.
If the food in the fridge isabove 5oC:
for less thantwo hours, re-refrigerate or use the food immediately.
for between twoand four hours, the food can be used, but must be used immediately.
for longer than fourhours, throw the food out.
The appearanceor smell of food is not a reliable indicator of food safety. Some foods maylook and smell fine, but if it has been warm too long, it may contain enoughbacteria to make people ill. Any foodthat has an obvious strange colour or odour should be discarded.
If raw food especially meat, poultry and fish thaw and drip juices, clean and disinfectall affected areas in the fridge or freezer, as well as any countertops,cutting boards and utensils.
For moreinformation about Food Safety please go to https://nt.gov.au/search?query=food+safety
