If your power is back on, or if you have yet to get the power back, there are some safety concerns to keep in mind. For one thing, you may have to say goodbye to some groceries.
Here are a few things in the icebox you can keep: relish, mustard, even pickles– things with enough acid to prevent fast bacterial growth.
As for the other stuff, especially meat and dairy, it’s probably no good, unless you’re sure it remained below 40 degrees. Ernest Julian heads the Center for Food Protection at the State Health Department. He said don’t be tempted to keep something even if it looks okay.
“The vast majority of food that causes people to become ill looked, smelled, and tasted fine,” Julian said. “So you don’t want to rely on sight, smell and taste to determine the safety of a product. If it’s been at the wrong temperature, it really needs to be disposed of, especially now when we’re out two and a half days.”
According to Julian, you can dump small amounts of rancid dairy down the drain, but don’t be shy about throwing a whole milk carton in the trash. If you do toss the whole carton, you’ll probably want to take that trash bag out to the barrel right away.
Julian warns even food that looks, smells and tastes right might already be infected with bacteria like listeria, which can cause serious illness. That’s why he recommends taking no chances on food that’s been at the wrong temperature.
