Ukrainians successfully overcome the challenges brought into our lives by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation every day. One of them is the regular lack of electricity for a certain period of time. Each family already has a certain set of tools that allows them to survive these "inconvenient" hours - power banks, lanterns, battery-powered lamps, camping stoves, even generators and charging stations.
In order to prevent food poisoning due to the consumption of food products that may be dangerous due to violation of the temperature conditions of their storage, the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection of Ukraine, taking into account the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, suggests that citizens and business entities adhere to the following rules:
- do not prepare meals in advance; it is advisable to consume cooked meals immediately (do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than 2 hours);
- During a power outage, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed, as this will keep food safe for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator and up to 48 hours in a full freezer (24 hours in a half-empty freezer);
- In case of a power outage of 4 hours or more, it is better to group food together in the freezer. The refrigerator should be at a temperature of +4°C or lower, and the freezer should be no higher than -4°C;
- if you have doubts about the safety of food, do not taste test it, it is better to throw it away immediately;
- get rid of perishable foods (meat, fish, cut fruits and vegetables, eggs, dairy products and their leftovers) if they have been stored for more than 4 hours without electricity or a source of cold;
- products that have a temperature not higher than +4°C or on which ice crystals are stored can be safely refrozen or cooked;
- do not defrost foods at room temperature;
- when storing, separate raw food from cooked food;
- store foods in closed containers to avoid contact between raw and cooked foods;
- thoroughly fry or boil foods, especially meat, eggs and seafood;
- Bring foods to a boil so that they are cooked to at least 70°C.
- Use clean or purified water – preferably bottled drinking water of industrial production or water from proven sources, after subjecting it to additional boiling.
It is also important to adhere to the following hygiene requirements:
- wash your hands before handling food or preparing food;
- wash your hands after using the toilet;
- If there is no water when the lights are turned off in your home, you can use alcohol-based hand sanitizers or wet hand wipes;
- wash and disinfect all surfaces and kitchen utensils you use for cooking;
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, especially if you are going to eat them raw. For this, in case of a water shortage, it is also a good idea to have a supply of clean, industrially produced bottled drinking water;
- Protect your kitchen and food from insects, rodents and other animals.
Be careful and attentive, take care of your health and that of your loved ones! Together we are strong and we will definitely win!