Take care with food during power outages

Published on 12 November 2016

WITH ongoing power outages after last night’s severe storms, Mildura Rural City Council is urging residents to take care to ensure they don’t become a victim of food poisoning.

Before and after a power failure, try and keep food cold, and keep frozen food as cold as possible. If food is still cold to touch (less than five degrees celsius) it is safe to use.

If frozen food is no longer cold to touch, it can still be kept and eaten for up to four hours, but it then must be thrown away, or if it is raw meat, it should be cooked and eaten.

Eat hot food within four hours of it being hot, or throw it away.

Once power is restored, if frozen food is still solid, the food is safe to refreeze.

If you’re in the middle of a power failure, move food from the fridge to the freezer.

And, if available, put bagged ice under food packages and trays stored in freezers and fridges if the power failure lasts more than an hour.

Placing an insulating blanket over cold or frozen food is also a good idea, and only open fridge or freezer doors when absolutely necessarily.

ENDS