‘When in doubt, throw it out’

Err on the side of caution when the refrigerator loses power

When storms knock out the power, what’s the best way to handle refrigerated or frozen foods?

Err on the cautious side. When in doubt, throw the food out.

“Food can be very expensive to throw away but not as costly as food-borne illnesses, which can cause lifelong health effects as well as death,” said Joyce McGarry, a food safety educator with Michigan State University. “If any food is suspected to be contaminated, it is not worth the risk, especially for young children, seniors and those with compromised For more about food safety emergencies caused by power outages, see this University of Delaware College of Agriculture & Natural Resources fact sheet: http:// extension.udel.edu/factsheets/ when-the-power-is-out/ immune systems.”

Electrical interruptions are unpredictable. Causes include, severe weather, equipment failure, damage from wildlife, and power-line scrapes with tree limbs, among other things. Disruptions can extend from minutes to months, and many foods spoil rapidly without refrigeration.

“Animal products and cooked plant items are the most problematic from a safety standpoint,” said Sue Snider, a professor of Animal and Food Sciences at the University of Delaware. “Recommendations are not to let these items stay at room temperature for more than two hours.”

That doesn’t mean you can’t ease food losses. Buy a small generator or portable solar panels to provide temporary power.

Separate your disaster planning into three steps: preparation, measures to take during an outage, and things to do once

DEAN FOSDICK VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS This undated photo taken near New Market, Va., shows damage from a mid-winter ice storm that downed trees and power lines over a wide area. The electric outages lasted several days, causing many foods to spoil rapidly without refrigeration. Food often...