Clean out the Fridge After Power Outage

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, we’ve heard a lot of people uttering the F-word – worrying about flood, whether it be on roadways or in basements.

But, according to the USDA Web site, there’s another F-word we should be thinking about – Food.

The United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service offers the following advice for people after a severe storm or hurricane that has caused a power outage: “When in doubt, throw it out.”

In fact, the USDA Safe Food Handling Fact Sheet titled “A Consumer's Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes,” says that homeowners should get rid of perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers and deli items after four hours without power.

A full freezer, the fact sheet says, will maintain its temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full and the door stays closed).

Much of Emmaus Patch was without power for about 18 hours between late Saturday night and Sunday afternoon as a result of the Hurricane Irene. Old Zionsville, Zionsville and Powder Valley are still without power as of Monday afternoon.