Niagara Region, April 29, 2011 - Residents without power are reminded that the food you keep in the refrigerator and freezer may have become unsafe to eat and eating unsafe foods may cause food borne illness.
If food items in the refrigerator have been above 4 degrees Celsius for more than two hours, any perishable food items including, but not restricted to, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products and other perishable foods should be discarded.
The provincial Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care advises that foods that have been thawed in the freezer may be refrozen if they contain ice crystals or are at 4 degrees Celsius or below. The exception to this is ice cream or frozen yogurt which should be discarded once thawed. Partial thawing and refreezing may reduce the quality of some food, but the food will remain safe to eat.
Remember, when in doubt, throw it out. If you are not sure whether an item has gone bad, play it safe and put unwrapped food in your green bin, and wrappers in the appropriate recycling container. If you have too much food to dispose of, there are two options:
Contact:
David Carey
Manager, Niagara Region Public Health
905-688-8248 ext. 7417, or 1-888-505-6074