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Keeping your food and water safe
By Times Staff
Published April 16, 2006
If I am told to boil water before drinking or cooking with it, how long must it boil to kill bacteria? The water should be at a rolling boil for 1 to 3 minutes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What if I don't have a heat source to boil water? One gallon of water can be purified with eight drops, or one-eighth teaspoon, of new, unscented household bleach. (A good thing to have in your hurricane kit.) Pharmacies and sporting goods stores sell water purification tablets. My house was flooded. Can I still eat the food in my pantry or refrigerator? Do not eat any food in non-waterproof containers that have touched floodwater because it carries bacteria. This includes boxes of cereal or pasta. For canned foods, discard paper labels and note the contents with a marker directly on the can. Disinfect cans with a solution of one-fourth cup household bleach and 1 gallon water. Is my kitchen equipment okay to use after the floodwater has receded? Wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottles and nipples should be discarded. Metal and ceramic utensils and cookware should be washed with soap and hot water, then sanitized in a dishwasher or in a bleach and water solution. How can I make food last in my refrigerator and freezer after a power outage? Keep doors closed to trap cold air. Bacteria begin to grow when temperatures rise above 40 degrees. Place appliance thermometers in the refrigerator and freezer to monitor the temperature. How long will perishable food be safe to eat after a power outage? A full freezer should keep food safe for about two days; a half-full freezer, about a day. Refrigerated foods should be safe if the power is out no more than four to six hours. If it appears the power will be off more than six hours, transfer refrigerated, perishable foods to an insulated cooler filled with ice or frozen gel packs. Which foods spoil quickly? Meat, poultry, fish, eggs and egg substitutes (raw or cooked), milk, cream, yogurt and soft cheese; casseroles, stews or soups, lunch meats and hot dogs; creamy salad dressings; custard, chiffon or cheese pies; refrigerated cookie dough; and open mayonnaise, tartar sauce and horseradish will be spoiled after eight hours without refrigeration. Do not eat anything that smells bad or is an odd color. I normally keep butter in the refrigerator. Will it spoil without power? The following foods keep at room temperature for a few days: butter or margarine; hard and processed cheese; fresh fruits and vegetables; fruit juices and dried fruit; opened jars of vinegar-based salad dressings; jelly, relish, taco sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, ketchup, olives; fresh herbs and spices; fruit pies, breads and cakes, except cream cheese-frosted or cream-filled. Discard anything that turns moldy or has an unusual odor. My power is back on. Can I refreeze thawed food? You can refreeze thawed foods that still contain ice crystals. Thawed foods that do not contain ice crystals but have been kept at 40 degrees or below for no more than one to two days may be cooked, then refrozen or canned. Anything else should be discarded. In news photos of New Orleans we saw the streets lined with refrigerators full of rotten food, thrown out when people returned to their homes weeks after the storm. Should I empty my refrigerator before I evacuate? There's no easy answer here. If you evacuate and the power goes out and you can't return home for days or weeks, you'll face the same situation: a refrigerator full of rotten food. If you're gone only a day or two and the power stays on, your food should be fine. Here's a middle ground: Throw out the leftovers, stuff that probably won't get eaten. From your freezer, throw out items such as meat and poultry, which will go bad quickly if the power goes out. Of course, this means you may unnecessarily throw out expensive items. Compiled by Times food editor Janet K. Keeler with information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and Clemson University Cooperative Extension.
[Last modified April 13, 2006, 16:08:36]
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