ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ADVISORY FOR RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE LOST POWER

 Following extended power outages that affected Erie County residents and businesses, the Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) is offering advice and recommendations about handling perishable foods that may have spoiled. This guidance is for restaurants and other food facilities, but is useful for residents as well.

 

Spoiled foods can cause severe illness if consumed. Please also refer to food safety guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/index.html). This cannot be stated enough: The risk of Food Poisoning (and the associated liability) is never worth the cost of the food!

 

Extended Power Outages and Perishable Food Storage

 

Refrigerators/Walk-in Coolers:

  • Refrigeration units (regardless of make) will not reliably maintain refrigeration temperatures (<45⁰F) for longer than 4 hours without continuous electric service.
  • All potentially hazardous food (PHF)* in these units MUST BE DISCARDED if the electric service was interrupted for 4 continuous hours or longer.

 

Freezers (including walk-in units):

  • Fully stocked freezers (especially chest and walk-in styles) may maintain temperatures <32⁰F for up to 48 hours without continuous electric service. Partially/Half-stocked freezers may maintain temperatures <32⁰F for up to 24 hours.
  • All PHF in these units must be carefully evaluated with a probe-style food thermometer for proper temperature maintenance before use. PHF found to be partially frozen (exhibiting ice-crystals) may be re-frozen. Thawed PHF found to be <45⁰F may be used or treated as a refrigerated product and maintained at <45⁰F, and must be used as soon as possible. Thawed PHF foods found to be >45⁰F MUST BE DISCARDED.

 

If Flooding/Water Back-up Occurs:

  • Discard all foods (not just PHF) and packaging materials that have been submerged in water, unless the food is sealed in a hermetically sealed can that has not been damaged. This includes DISCARDING:
    • Products in containers with screw-caps, snap-lids, crimped-caps (i.e. beer/soda bottles), twist-caps, flip-tops, snap-open, similar type closures that have been submerged in water.
    • Refrigerated and frozen foods which have been submerged in water, except for retort pouches (i.e. vacuum packed pouches)-contact this Department for the requirements necessary to salvage these items.
    • Products packed in plastic, paper, cardboard, cloth, and similar containers that have been submerged in water.

 

Summary:

  • Discard all PHF that have been in the “Danger Zone” (between 45⁰F and 140⁰F) for 4 hours or more
  • Do not re-freeze thawed food
  • Discard foods and other products submerged in flood/back-up waters
  • When in Doubt, Throw it Out!
  • You cannot rely solely on appearance or odor to determine if a food will make someone sick
  • The risk of Food Poisoning (and the associated liability) is never worth the cost of the food!

 

*Potentially Hazardous Food is any food that consists in whole or in part of milk or milk products, eggs, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, edible crustacean, cooked potato, cooked rice or other ingredients, including synthetic ingredients, in a form capable of supporting: (1) rapid and progressive growth of infectious, or toxigenic microorganisms; or (2) the slower growth of C. Botulinum.

 

Checklist for Re-Opening the Establishment

         Hot and cold potable water available under pressure

         All hand-washing and toilet facilities are fully operational

         Electric and gas service operational

         Refrigeration and freezer units are fully operational and holding temperature

         Hot holding units fully operational

         Proper cleaning and sanitizing facilities operational

         Adequate and approved lighting operational

         All PHF which has been out of temperature for 4 or more hours has been discarded

         Frozen foods thawed due to power outage not re-frozen

         All food contact equipment that was submerged in water has been cleaned and sanitized

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR ADVICE, CONTACT ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

(716) 961-6800

Related articles

How to Photograph the Total Solar Eclipse 2024

https://www.youtube.com/embed/9StbAas1PQQ

Peter Navarro’s prison records suggest no early release for RNC convention



Former President Donald Trump's onetime White House adviser Peter Navarro could remain in a federal lockup during the Republican National Convention, prison records show.

The Federal Bureau of Prison official listing on Monday showed Navarro is set to be released on July 17, according to its online inmate tracker. The date, first reported by CBS correspondent Scott MacFarlane, is an initial record of when he's set for release and it could change.

The Republican Convention begins in Milwaukee on July 15.

The Bureau of Prisons record shows Navarro's inmate number at a low-security federal correctional facility in Miami is 04370-510.

ALSO READ: 11 ways Trump doesn’t become president

Navarro was sentenced to four months in prison after he refused to comply with a subpoena from the House Select Jan. 6 Committee. The former trade adviser claimed then-President Donald Trump invoked executive privilege to prevent him from testifying.

If Navarro is freed on the set date, he would miss most of the Republican convention, which begins on July 15. But he could attend the convention's final day on July 18.

Full final four minutes of Oakland’s shocking upset over Kentucky

Oakland stunned Kentucky in the First Round of the 2024 men's NCAA tournament behind Jack Gohlke's incredible shooting performance. Watch the final four minutes from the Golden Grizzlies' upset victory here. Watch highlights, game recaps and much more from the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments on the official NCAA March Madness YouTube channel. Subscribe now to be updated on the latest videos: https://www.youtube.com/marchmadness Connect with March Madness: Follow March Madness MBB on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB Follow March Madness WBB on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessWBB Like March Madness MBB on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarchMadnessMBB Like March Madness WBB on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarchMadnessWBB/ Follow March Madness MBB on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marchmadnessmbb/ Follow March Madness WBB on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marchmadnesswbb/ Follow March Madness MBB on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/marchmad... #marchmadness #collegebasketball