April 2, 2008

LANSING - As part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) is reminding residents to follow some simple, but important, food safety precautions when severe weather strikes.

“Spring might bring May flowers, but it also brings the threat of damaging weather such as tornadoes and floods which may compromise food and water safety,” said Don Koivisto, MDA director. “Following basic food safety precautions will help protect your family’s health during severe weather events.”

When severe weather hits, follow these important food and water safety tips:

• If flooding has occurred, discard any foods that have come into contact with flood waters.
• Drink only approved or chlorinated water if your area has sustained damage from tornadoes or other storms.
• Discard any items containing particles of glass, slivers of debris, or cans with broken seams.
• If a power outage has occurred, keep the refrigerator/freezer door closed as much as possible to maintain adequate temperature.
• Always discard anything that turns moldy, has unusual color, or odor. When in doubt, throw it out.
• Perishable refrigerated foods (meats, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, etc.) should be thrown out if they reach temperatures warmer
  than 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours.
• Frozen foods that thaw and reach temperatures at above 40 degrees Fahrenheit should be discarded.

Refrigerated foods will generally be safe as long as the power is not out for more than a few hours and the doors have remained closed.

A full, free standing freezer will stay at freezing temperatures for about two days; a half full freezer about one day. If a freezer isn’t full, group packages together so they form an “igloo.” If power may be out for several days, use dry ice. Twenty-five pounds of dry ice should maintain freezing temperatures in a 10-cubic foot freezer for about four days.

For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/foodsafety or www.foodsafety.gov, or call the U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry toll free hotline at 800-535-4555, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Information Line at 888-SAFE-FOOD, or call a Michigan State University Extension office.