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TextFood Safety
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In the event of a
power outage, perishable foods including meats, dairy products and eggs
that haven’t been refrigerated for more than two hours should be
discarded because they are no longer safe to consume.
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Foods that have been contaminated by flooding should also be
discarded.
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Be particularly careful to thoroughly disinfect surfaces that may come
in contact with food, such as counter tops, pantry shelves, pots and
pans, dishes and inside refrigerators, etc.
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If your power comes back on after food is your freezer has already
begun to thaw, use an appliance thermometer to check the temperature in
you freezer. Food stored in the freezer at 40 F or below is safe
and may be refrozen. If a thermometer has not been kept in the
freezer, check each package of food to determine the
safety. Remember you can’t rely on appearance or odor. If the
food still contains ice crystals or is 40 F or below, it is safe to
refreeze.
- Residents are advised to wash their hands after handling food to protect themselves and others from spreading food-borne illnesses.
More Information
- Health Department's Food Safety Section (Fairfax County)
Website Survey 