No one can really say when a power blackout will occur. Well, unless there are announcements prior to the lights going off. These announced temporary power interruptions are actually called brownouts, by the way. Blackouts are the unexpected ones that are commonly caused by severe weather conditions or natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes and floods. Man-made tragedies like a terrorist attack and an EMP missile going off can also cause power to go out. Normally, though, it may just be because of issues in the power stations or a damaged electrical transmission line. In any case, the important thing is to always be ready. And that includes knowing food safety tips so you can avid letting whatever food you have going to waste when the power goes out.
Food Safety Tips Before A Blackout
Once power goes out, one of the things that may pop in your mind is to cook everything so they won’t spoil. While that is a legitimate solution, it is also not that practical. You may end up wasting some of the food because you probably can’t finish everything that you cooked. That is why you should take the necessary precautions to avoid wasting food in the event of a blackout.
Keep Perishables in the Freezer
Raw meat, milk, leftovers, and other perishable food are better off frozen. Keep these things in the freezer so when the power goes out, they remain safe as long as they’re frozen, which is longer as compared to being in the refrigerator only.
Arrange the food in the freezer in a way that they are grouped or clumped together. When they are grouped together like an igloo, they keep each other cold longer.
One of the most common food safety tips that people forget sometimes is to never take the food out of the freezer or refrigerator. Admit it. Some of you have taken something out of the fridge only to realize you don’t need it. The time the food spent outside the freezer may be enough for bacteria to set in. In case of a blackout, take the food out of the refrigerator only if you have a cooler filled with ice or a portable camping fridge you can use.
Invest On Appliance Thermometers
Remember that the freezer will remain cold for a time after a blackout. That may be enough to keep the food in the freezer safe for a while. Appliance thermometers placed in the freezer and refrigerator will help you know if the food is still safe to eat or if they should be consumed immediately.
One of the food safety tips you need to keep in mind is that perishables generally will last for 48 hours if the refrigerator stays at 40°F while those in the freezer will stay fresh if kept at a temperature of 0°F. In other words, once the temperatures go further than those figures, then the foods will start to spoil. Consume the food before the temperatures go beyond the said figures to avoid wastage and to stay safe.
Buy An Ice Chest or Cooler
Aside from the freezer, you can also use a cooler or ice chest to keep your food safe when power goes out. Unlike freezers, however, you don’t have the luxury of could temperature lingering around.
For ice chests, you need to fill it up with ice or something pretty cold before putting your food inside. For this to work, you should have a good supply of ice. We’ll discuss this a bit more later.
Invest On A Portable Refrigerator
If you love to travel or go on outdoor adventures, you probably have thought of getting a camping fridge already. These portable refrigerators can stay cold for hours on a single charge, which is extremely useful when the power goes out.
Food Safety Tips for When Power Goes Out
Keep Fridge Closed
One of the simplest food safety tips you need to do when power goes out is to keep the fridge and freezer closed. The remaining cold will “escape” every time you open the doors. Keep the fridge and freezer doors closed so the food can stay safe for up to four hours. If you really have to get something from the fridge, do so quickly so you can close the door immediately.
Keep Freezer Full
If you keep your freezer full, the temperature will hold for as long as 48 hours. However, a half-full one will only stay cold for 24 hours. Keep stocking your freezer to make the most out of your freezer and to be ready in case the power goes out.
Use Dry Ice
Dry ice can keep food safe for two days. An 18-cubic feet freezer can hold up to 50 pounds of dry ice which you can use to keep things in your freezer cold for a couple of days. Make sure you know where you can get some in case the power goes out.
Use Blocks of Ice
Fill Ziploc bags or other containers with water and freeze them. Have a steady supply of ice so you’ll have something to use to keep your food safe when power goes out.
Aside from blocks of ice and dry ice, you can use ice cubes to keep the food fresh as long as possible. Just place ice cubes inside Ziploc bags and use them to keep the food cold. The bags will catch the water once the ice cubes melt so you don’t have to worry about getting your stuff too wet.
Food Safety Tips Once Power Is Restored
In the event that the power grid goes down because of an apocalyptic event or something similar, then you should give up hope of electricity coming back in the near future. It may take a number of years before things go back to normal if that is still a possibility, anyway. If the power interruption is only temporary, you should still know what to do with the food once the power returns.
Check the Temperature
If the power returns sooner than you expected, check the appliance thermometers immediately. If the temperature in the refrigerator has been more than 40°F for a couple of hours or so, then just discard the food. Frozen food that has thawed but still has ice crystals or is below 40°F may be safe to refreeze.
Check the Food
Observe each food item. Use your sense of sight, smell and touch to see if they are still safe to consume. If the color seem a bit different than usual then it may no longer be safe to eat. Take a sniff. If it smells bad then it definitely belongs to the trash bin and not in your mouth and tummy. Perhaps one of the food safety tips that need no further explanation is to never use your taste buds to see if food is still okay.
Food safety tips are there for a reason. It’s never okay to consume food that have spoiled or are near spoilage. The repercussions could be deadly. The next time the power goes out, remember these food safety tips so you don’t risk your health and your family’s health, as well.
Please visit The Gentleman Pirate for more safety tips that could prove useful down the line. Remember, knowing is half the battle so try to learn some new survival tips each day.
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