Food safety during a power outage

TAMPA - When the threat of a power outage from a hurricane is imminent, serious consideration must be taken to the food in your refrigerator.

The main question you need to ask is: What is safe to eat?

The answer:  Don't take chances. The last thing you want to do is get yourself or your family sick after a hurricane.

Consider the following precautions if you have a power outage lasting for more than a day:

• Throw out everything in your fridge other than meat.  That means condiments, jellies, sauces, and whatever was in your refrigerator before the power outage.
• Chicken and other meats have a short shelf life in the fridge. Consume it within three days, or throw it out.
• When it comes to your freezer, take the same precautions.
• If an item in your freezer seems warm, throw it out. If it is still cold in the middle, consume it immediately (make sure it is cooked all the way through).

Since your fridge and/or freezer can smell after a power outage, cleaning becomes very important. There are three different ways to clean out your fridge or freezer

• Scrub with a combination of baking soda and water.
• For tougher odors, try scrubbing with vinegar and water.
• You may also want to try placing a charcoal briquette in your fridge and then close the door. This will remove many odors.