
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 8, 1993                   TAG: 9306080117
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

GOOD NEWS IS: THE POWER'S BACK ON; BAD NEWS IS: THE FOOD MIGHT BE OFF

If there's any doubt, throw it out. That's the advice for what to do with food in freezers and refrigerators that lost electricity in Friday night's thunderstorms.

It is crucial that people with any immune deficiency not be served foods that are questionable, said Jean Vandergrift, Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension agent in Roanoke County.

If your electricity was restored by midnight, your food probably was OK, she said. However, many people didn't pay much attention to their refrigerators and freezers so they don't know what temperature was maintained.

If that's true, use these guidelines:

Check packages for juices that might have run in the package and refrozen; lots of juice running means the package thawed.

Throw away ice cream (listeria bacteria could be present) and seafood that partially thawed.

Hamburger and poultry should not be refrozen but might be suitable to cook and serve if the freezer or refrigerator maintained at least a 40-degree temperature or below for no more than two days.

Red meats that still had ice crystals are OK to refreeze.

If the refrigerator didn't get above 40 degrees, you can keep things like catsup and pickles and oil and vinegar-type salad dressings.

Mayonnaise is questionable; Ranch and Thousand Island dressings should be tossed.

How well a cooling unit kept the food depends on its insulation, temperature setting, how often the door was opened and how much food was inside.

by CNB