Be prepared: Food Safety 101, for the next power outage in Northeast Florida

When in doubt, throw it out.

That's the adage to remember when it comes to what you can keep in your refrigerator and what you should throw away after a significant power outage.

The damage from Hurricane Irma left many thousands of people in Northeast Florida without electricity.

If you haven't already followed the general rules for food safety before, during and after an emergency, your best bet is to take the advice in the first paragraph.

Preserving your health during a disaster is vital, said Marianne Gravely, a food safety and education expert with the USDA's Food and Safety Inspection Service in Washington.

"You may have enough trouble now without putting yourself at risk for getting sick," she said.

If you've had to toss out a lot of food after Hurricane Irma, think of it as a learning moment so you fare better next time.

The reality is that living in Florida means that you should always be prepared for a weather-provoked crisis.

Here is some information to help you minimize food loss and reduce the risk of food-borne illness.

STRATEGIES BEFORE THE STORM

"For planning purposes, have an appliance thermometer in the fridge and freezer," Gravely said.

Keep the freezer at a temperature of zero or below. Keep the refrigerator at 40 degrees or below.

There are a few things you can do to help the freezer stay cold longer.

• Add ice (bags or blocks, or dry ice], frozen containers of water or gel packs to the freezer.

• Group foods together in the freezer.

You should also consider freezing perishable food from the refrigerator, such as fresh meat, chicken, leftovers and bread, that you don't plan to use immediately.

ONCE THE POWER IS OUT

If the freezer is full, it will hold its temperature for 48 hours after the power goes out. If it's half full, it will hold its temperature for 24 hours.

A refrigerator will keep food safe for four hours after you lose power. After that, tossing the food out is the right thing to do, Gravely said.

Those numbers are based on the door staying closed the entire time.

Therefore, your behavior can have a significant role in your food's future at this point. The more you open the doors, the faster you'll lose the temperature you're trying to maintain.

Gravely also suggests have a cooler ready with ice.

"I'm a big advocate for having a cooler," she said. If you aren't expecting the power to be restored fairly soon, it's your best option for prolonging the time the food is safe to consume.

WHEN THE POWER COMES BACK

First, check the temperature inside the refrigerator and freezer, Gravely said.

If the areas are still at the safety mark of 40 degrees or colder, the food should be fine. Ice crystals on frozen foods are a sign they are only partially thawed and probably still safe.

Gravely recommends using the thawed food first.

Still, you can refreeze if the food has been safely thawed, she said. "It might be a little dry, because when it thaws it loses some of the moisture."

DON'T TAKE THE RISK

It's common to want to defend keeping perishable food you recently purchased, especially in preparation for emergencies. It can be a substantial investment.

Power losses always seem to happen "the day after you went shopping, Gravely said. "It's really sad."

But food poisoning is a silent enemy.

"Food poisoning bacteria don't affect taste, smell or appearance," she said. "If you could tell that something was dangerous, nobody would ever get sick."

National statistics reflect the extent of the problem: Every year, 48 million Americans get sick from food poisoning, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die.

The elderly, the very young, women who are pregnant and people with compromised immune systems are particulary susceptible, Gravely said.

When it comes to perishable food and loss of power, planning and taking precautions are your most powerful allies.

FOOD AND FLOODING

You should never eat any food that may have come into contact with floodwater, Gravely said.

The only food that can be salvaged should be canned. Food in jars, or with a screw top, are not safe, she said.

Cans that may have been covered in floodwater can be disinfected with hot, soapy water, boiled or immersed in a sanitizing solution of one tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water or the cleanest water available.

David Crumpler: (904) 359-4164