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Family
& Consumer Sciences |
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If
the Freezer goes off . . .
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Frozen Food
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A fully loaded, closed freezer will stay cold for up to 2 days.
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To
maintain foods in frozen state in a home freezer when the power is off
for an extended period, you can use dry ice. Twenty-five pounds
of dry ice will keep a 10 cubic-foot freezer below freezing for 2 to 3
days if the freezer is half full, or 3 to 4 days if the freezer is
fully loaded.
If
frozen food has thawed, the amount of time the product has been thawed
and the temperature of the food affects the number of bacteria present
and whether the food is safe to eat.
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- If products contain ice crystals or are still
cold - about 40 degrees F - then they can be safely
refrozen. Quality will be lower. Products should be
labeled and used as soon as possible.
- If food has been above 40 degrees F for 6
hours or more the only foods that should be kept are fruits and
fruit joices, breads, cakes, cookies, flour, nuts and hard
cheese. (Discard these foods if they show any signs of
spoilage.) All other foods should be discarded because they
may be unsafe to eat.
- Before and during cooking, check for off
colors and odors. Never taste food you are not sure
about. When in doubt, throw it out!
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Refrigerated Food
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If food has been above 40 degrees F for more than 2
hours, discard milk and milk products (except for butter and hard
cheeses), cooked eggs, custards and puddings, cooked vegetables,
meats, gravy, pastries, cooked pasta, salads containing perishable
foods such as pasta, eggs or meat, and all other perishable foods.
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Source: Food Safety Advisor Handbook,
(2002) - Washington State University/University of Idaho
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