Be Prepared to Ensure Food Safety during Power Outage

AGRICULTURE/FISHERIES--Be Prepared to Ensure Food Safety during Power Outage

So far, this winter has been an strong reminder that Nova Scotians can expect power outages as a result of snow, wind and ice storms. The province's food safety experts want people to know how to store and prepare their food in the face of these and other natural disasters.

"If you have warning that your electrical power may be interrupted or live in an area subject to power failures during storms, we have suggestions about how to prepare and what to do," said Gary Moulton, food safety educator with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

The department's food safety Web site has tips and information about keeping food in refrigerators and freezers, what foods to stock up on, emergency water supplies and food preparation during a power disruption.

Some tips included on the department's food safety Web site include:

• setting refrigerators and freezers at their coolest temperature;
• keeping several freezer gel packs frozen in the freezer;
• freezing containers such as empty milk cartons with water to help maintain temperatures; and
• having coolers on hand to store refrigerated foods.

The food safety Web site is part of the provincial government Web site, at www.gov.ns.ca/nsaf/foodsafety .