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Contact: Terry Egan, nutrition specialist
Headquartered in Greene County
Tel: (417) 866-3039
E-mail: egant@missouri.edu

What To Do With Frozen Food If It Thaws

Despite your best efforts, the food in your freezer may partially or completely thaw before power is restored.

According to Terry Egan, nutrition specialist with University of Missouri Extension, foods may be safely refrozen if they still contain ice crystals.

Foods which have completely thawed, but are still cold--about 40°F (and have been held at this temperature no longer than one or two days after thawing)--may be refrozen if the following criteria are met:

· Fruits--may be refrozen if they still taste and smell good. Fruits beginning to ferment are not dangerous to eat, but will have an off-flavor.
· Vegetables--should not be refrozen if thawed completely since bacteria multiply rapidly in these foods. If ice crystals are present, refreezing is possible.
· Meat and poultry--should be discarded if the color or odor is poor or questionable or if the meat temperature has exceeded 40°F for two hours. Unspoiled meat may be cooked and then refrozen.
· Fish and shellfish--should not be refrozen if thawed completely since these foods are extremely perishable. May refreeze if ice crystals are present.
· Frozen dinners and ice cream -- do not refreeze.

"At times, the practical solution is to can thawed food to save it. Keep canning supplies on hand, keep canning equipment in good working order, and use current canning instructions," said Egan.

For more information or publications on disaster related topics dealing with issues important to the home, family or farm, contact the University of Missouri Extension Center nearest you, visit extension's diaster information online at http://outreach.missouri.edu or go online to http://muextension.missouri.edu/explore to search available extension guide sheets.

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Contact: Terry Egan, nutrition specialist

Headquartered in Greene County

Tel: (417) 866-3039

E-mail: egant@missouri.edu

Tips for Safe Food Preparation

According to Terry Egan, nutrition specialist, University of Missouri Extension, there are several tips homeowners should remember about safe food preparation, even in disaster situations.

For safe and easier meals, Egan recommends the following:

1. Always wash hands with soap and disinfected water before preparing foods.

2. Boil water used in food preparation for three minutes.

3. Conserve fuel, water and energy, as well as the number of cooking and serving utensils by preparing casseroles and one-dish meals, such as stews, pot roasts and soups.

4. Save liquids from canned fruits and vegetables and use in place of water for cooking.

5. Use your oven, if working, to prepare foods. Oven cooking requires less attention and frees you to do other tasks.

6. If you lack refrigeration, cook only enough food for one meal to limit leftovers.

7. Use powdered infant formula concentrate for babies and mix only enough for immediate use. Unlike liquid concentrates, powdered formula needs no refrigeration after opening.

8. Avoid keeping prepared or cooked foods at room temperature. Keep hot foods hot (above 140 degrees F.) and cold foods cold (below 40 degrees F.).

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Contact: Terry Egan, nutrition specialist
Headquartered in Greene County
Tel: (417) 866-3039
E-mail: egant@missouri.edu

Saving your Food When the Power Goes Off

If your power goes off, there is a simple rule of thumb when it comes to saving refrigerated food: the colder the foods, the longer they will keep.

Opening the doors hastens thawing says Terry Egan, nutrition specialist, University of Missouri Extension.

"Several factors influence the speed of thawing. The food in a fully loaded freezer will last longer than a half filled one. Pile the foods together to keep the foods frozen longer. Group meat and poultry to one side of the freezer or on a tray so that if they start to thaw the meat juices will not get onto other foods," said Egan.

Egan also recommends covering the freezer with blankets (don't cover vents) to hold in the cold.

If the power might be off for several days, dry ice can be used to keep the temperature below freezing. Twenty-five pounds of ice should keep a full 10-cubic-foot freezer below freezing for three to four days and a half full freezer for two to three days.

"Keep foods away from the dry ice and do not handle the dry ice with your bare hands, use gloves. When using dry ice, the room should be ventilated," said Egan.

In emergency conditions, Egan says the following foods should keep at room temperature (above 40°F) a few days: butter, margarine, fresh fruits and vegetables, dried fruits and coconut, opened jars of salad dressing (except mayonnaise types), peanut butter, jelly, relish, taco sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, ketchup and olives, hard and processed cheeses, fruit juices, fresh herbs and spices, flour and nuts, fruit pies, bread, rolls, cakes, and muffins.

"Remember to discard anything that looks moldy or has an unusual odor," said Egan.

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Contact: Terry Egan, nutrition specialist

Headquartered in Greene County

Tel: (417) 862-9284

E-mail: egant@missouri.edu

So, the Power Has Been Off, Now What About the Food?

When freezers or refrigerators are off for several hours whether it’s from a storm, forgetfulness or accidental, the food safety rules about what to keep or toss are the same.

FREEZER

The basic guide is if the food still has ice crystals inside it, it can be refrozen. Egan suggests taking a permanent marker or crayon and mark each package in the freezer with an “X” indicating it was partially thawed. Any items, which do not have ice crystals, should be tossed.

What if you don’t know how thawed the food items were before the freezer came back on?

“If you notice blood on neighboring packages or in the bottom of the freezer, this is an indication of advanced thawing. At this point, since we are dealing with an unknown, the rule is if in doubt, throw it out,” said Egan.

REFRIGERATOR
What about the refrigerator? Since your refrigerator should be about 40 degrees or below during normal operation, two hours without power will mean you need to do some tossing.

Tossing is the hardest thing to do. But when we are in doubt, we need to throw out.

EAT OR TOSS
Here are some guidelines to help you salvage as much as possible.

According to Egan, all the following foods need to be tossed if kept more than two hours above 40 degrees: raw or cooked meat, poultry, fish; hard cooked or cracked eggs; egg substitutes; milk, cream yogurt or soft cheese; casseroles, stews or soups; lunch meats and hot dogs; creamy-based salad dressings; custard, chiffon or cheese pies; cream-filled pastries and cookie dough.

The condiments in the refrigerator door like opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce and horseradish need to be tossed if they were held above 50 degrees for more than eight hours.

The following refrigerated foods should keep at room temperature a few days: butter, margarine, fresh fruits and vegetables, dried fruits and coconut, opened jars of salad dressing (except mayonnaise types), peanut butter, jelly, relish, taco sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, ketchup and olives, hard and processed cheeses, fruit juices, fresh herbs and spices, flour and nuts, fruit pies, bread, rolls, cakes, and muffins.

Toss any of these items if they turn moldy or have an unusual odor.

“In addition to food safety, don’t forget about water safety following a tornado. Drink only approved or chlorinated water. If you have a well, have it tested before drinking the water. Your local county health department has testing kits,” said Egan.

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	David L. Burton, BurtonD@missouri.edu Civic Communication Specialist, University of Missouri Extension Last Modified: 05/07/03