Power outage precautions for food establishments

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POWER OUTAGE PRECAUTIONS FOR FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS

Your establishment must discontinue operation during a power outage. This means:

• No food preparation
• No food service (close the establishment)

HANDLING FOOD DURING A POWER OUTAGE

• Keep the doors closed to maintain the coldest temperatures while power is off.
• Consider transporting potentially hazardous foods to an approved operational cold storage facility (such as a facility not affected by a power loss, a refrigeration truck or ice storage).
• Extend storage life of high risk foods by using clean, uncontaminated ice and/or dry ice if doors must be opened. Re-close doors.

Caution: If you use dry ice to cool food, it may cause an unsafe build-up of carbon dioxide in enclosed spaces. Allow outside air to re-circulate in a walk-in refrigerator or freezer before entering.

RE-OPENING GUIDELINES

• Use a clean and sanitized digital thermometer to identify potentially hazardous foods (meat fish poultry, dairy, cooked foods) that were above 41º four hours or more and discard. If time is unknown, discard.
• Refrigeration and/or freezer units are fully operable and capable of maintaining food temperatures (41ºF or below for refrigeration units; food in a solid state for freezers).
• Hot (minimum 100ºF) and cold potable water under pressure are available.
• Verify that all power breakers have been properly reset as needed.
• Hand washing facilities are fully operable.
• Electricity and natural gas (if applicable) services are available.
• Hot food holding units are capable of maintaining food temperatures at 135ºF or above.
• Adequate and approved ventilation for gas-powered equipment are operable.
• Proper dishwashing and sanitizing of multi-use utensils are available.

BE SAFE!  DO NOT USE CHARCOAL, WOOD, OR GAS GRILLS, OR PORTABLE GENERATORS INDOORS!