If in doubt, throw it out
Freezer foods getting risky for those still without power
HALIFAX — For Maritimers still without power, the food in their fridges is long past the safe point and the contents of their freezers are likely compromised more than 48 hours after post tropical storm Dorian roared through the province.
Sylvain Charlebois, a Dalhousie University professor specializing in food distribution, policy, safety, security and traceability, still without electricity himself on Monday afternoon, said people need to follow the “if in doubt, throw it out” policy.
“When you have more than 25 per cent of the entire province without power, after six hours, what’s in your fridge for the most part has to go. And after two days, your freezer goes and that becomes expensive for everyone. We’re at that stage now.”
Karen Wong-Petrie, the Department of Environment’s emergency planning officer, said frozen items that have started to thaw are still safe if there are still visible ice crystals in it.
They can be re-frozen or cooked and eaten now.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are safe but if they’ve been cooked, they should be thrown out.
For those needing to replace their food or restock after their power has been restored, they now would be looking to grocery stores, which may or may not be able to meet their needs.
Charlebois said the region typically is not well-known to be a market that is well-served by logistics.
Cynthia Thompson, vice-president of communications and corporate affairs with Sobeys, said the grocery giant prepared for increased demand.
“We have been preparing for a full effort out of our retail support centres, our warehouses, to make deliveries to all of our locations that are open,” Thompson said.
Sobeys also counts Fast Fuel, Shell, and PetroCan gas stations, Needs Convenience Stores and Lawtons Pharmacies in its portfolio.
Charlebois said we should get used to this.
“Juan, I believe was the first hurricane to make landfall in Nova Scotia in over a century and we only had to wait 16 years for the next one. This is something we’re going to have to not just mitigate, but this is something that companies, the food industry and all of us will need to adapt to. This is the new reality.”