What foods to keep, throw away after a power outage

Experts say people should know what food can be kept and what should be thrown out in the event of a significant power outage.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency advises that a full freezer will keep food frozen for about 48 hours after it loses power while a half-full freezer will keep food frozen for about 24 hours.

An unopened refrigerator will keep cold for about four hours.

The agency advises people to keep the refrigerator or freezer door shut during an outage unless absolutely necessary. Refrigerators and freezers should be set to the coldest settings if a power outage is likely.

If possible, have a cooler with ice ready ahead of time or add ice to the refrigerator to keep the food at a safe temperature if the power will be out for a prolonged period of time.

If in doubt, toss it out

The Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture says any perishable food in the refrigerator that has been above 4 C for more than two hours should be thrown out.

Perishable foods include:

• Raw or cooked meat, poultry, seafood and luncheon meats.
• Casseroles, stews or soups.
• Milk and soft cheeses.
• Homemade mayonnaise or dressings.
• Cooked pasta, potatoes or rice.
• Salads made with any of these foods.

Non-perishable foods that can be stored above 4 C for several days include:

• Butter and margarine.
• Hard or processed cheese.
• Fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as olives.
• Mustard, ketchup, barbecue sauce.
• Salad dressings.
• Peanut butter, jams and jellies.

The department also has several tips for deciding what food to keep and what to discard:

• Food that has thawed, but is still cold or feels cold as if refrigerated (that is 4 C or below) may be refrozen. Raw meat or poultry should first be cooked before freezing.
• Fish and shellfish should not be refrozen if they have completely thawed.
• Frozen dinners, desserts and ice cream should not be refrozen.
• Prepared foods may be refrozen but should be marked so they can be used as soon as possible.
• If in doubt, toss it out.

A thermometer in the refrigerator or freezer will show how cold the food has remained during the power outage.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency also warns that if raw food has leaked during thawing, it's important to disinfect the area.

Check the condition of stored food for damage like denting, rusting, punctures, or leakage. If buying food at the grocery store or eating out, ask retailers and restaurateurs to explain how the food has been kept safe during a power failure.

Floodwater

If floodwater has come in contact with food containers that are not waterproof, such as containers with pull tops, screw caps or snap lids, those items should be thrown away.

Any sealed foods or canned goods should be cleaned and disinfected, as well as any preparation equipment, surfaces, dishes and utensils.

If the following items have come into contact with floodwater, they should be thrown away because they cannot be sanitized properly:

• Baby formula containers.
• Cardboard juice containers.
• Home-canned foods.
• Milk containers.