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From the Office of the Governor:
The
Department of Health and Senior Services urges all residents to throw away
any food that may have come in contact with flood or storm waters and
individuals that have suffered power outages should keep their refrigerator
and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold
temperature.
"Perishable food such as
meat, poultry, seafood, milk, and eggs that are not kept adequately
refrigerated or frozen may cause illness if consumed, even when they
are thoroughly cooked," said Health and Senior Services Commissioner
Mary O'Dowd.
Commissioner O'Dowd urged all
residents to dispose of any perishable food that may have been above 40
degrees for two hours or more. Food will stay cold in the refrigerator for
about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature
for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door
remains closed. However, food above 40 degrees for 2 hours or more must be
discarded.
Thawed food that contains ice
crystals or is 40 degrees or below can be refrozen or cooked. If you plan
to eat refrigerated or frozen meat, poultry, fish or eggs while it is still
at safe temperatures, it's important that each item is thoroughly cooked
to the proper temperature to assure that any foodborne bacteria that
may be present is destroyed.
Information about municipalities
that have issued boiled water advisories as well as instructions for safely
boiling water for drinking can be found at http://www.state.nj.us/cgi-bin/dhss/njnewsline/view_article.pl?id=3766
Below are some additional food
safety tips to prevent illness during power outages, flooding and hurricane
conditions:
- Add block ice or dry ice to
your refrigerator if the electricity is expected to be off for more
than four hours. Fifty pounds of dry ice should keep an 18-cubic foot
fully-stocked freezer cold for two days.
- Discard any food that is
not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come
into contact with flood water. Food containers that are not waterproof
include those with screw-off caps, snap lids and pull tops.
- Discard cardboard
juice/milk/baby formula boxes and home canned foods if they have come
in contact with flood water, because they cannot be effectively
cleaned and sanitized.
- Inspect canned foods and
discard any food in damaged cans. Can damage is shown by swelling,
leakage, punctures, holes, fractures, extensive deep rusting, or
crushing/denting severe enough to prevent normal stacking or opening
with a manual, wheel-type can opener.
- Check to ensure that the
freezer temperature is at or below 0 °F and the refrigerator is
at or below 40 degrees
- Wash fruits and vegetables with water from a safe
source before eating.
- For infants, if using
formula, try to use prepared, canned baby formula that requires no
added water. When using concentrated or powdered formulas, prepare
with bottled water if the local water source is potentially
contaminated.
- During power outages,
the appliance thermometers will indicate the temperatures in the
refrigerator and freezer to help you determine if the food is safe.
Once Power is Restored . . .
You'll need to determine the
safety of your food. Here's how:
- If an appliance thermometer
was kept in the freezer, check the temperature when the power
comes back on. If the freezer thermometer reads 40 degrees 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 degrees 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 and
the refrigerator door was kept shut. Discard any perishable food (such
as meat, poultry, fish, eggs or leftovers) that has been above 40°F
for two hours or more.
For additional information on
food safety and power outages, please visit http://www.nj.gov/health/er/natural.shtml and
http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/recovery.asp.
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