Food Safety checklist following power outages

Central Darling Shire is urging residents to make sure that their food is safe to eat. It follows the recent power outage caused by storms in the region, and expected continuation of planned power outages for the next few weeks until things return to normal when the power infrastructure is repaired.

The NSW Government Food Authority has a range of useful information to help with food safety, which is on its’ webpage - Food safety in emergencies

The advice includes making a note of the time the power failed as this will help determine whether the food is safe to eat.

The Food Authority recommends:

• Keep the refrigerator door closed as much as possible. A closed refrigerator should keep food cold for four hours.

• If food that is meant to be in the fridge is allowed to warm for two hours or more, avoid eating it. Freezers will usually not defrost and food will not spoil for at least 24 hours, provided the door has been kept shut. If frozen foods have thawed, they should not be refrozen but should be kept cold and eaten as soon as possible.

• Keep it hot! Throw out food that was being cooked when the power failed if cooking cannot be completed properly within two hours. If food is already properly cooked, eat it within two hours or throw it out.