Severe Storms and hurricanes have so many direct impacts on those in their path, including coping with potential power losses, flooding and more.
We’ve gone through such power losses in the past and from experience understand how frustrating their consequences can be.
Once you know you and your family are safe, and your home is safe to be in, then it may be time to address the challenge of dealing with throwing out food which has spoiled and cleaning out previously cold food storage devices where unpleasant odors can linger.
In Part 1 of 2 of this blog series, we included a synopsis of the advisements put out by the USDA/FSIS (United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety Information Service) regarding keeping food safe in emergency situations such as severe storms and hurricanes, etc.
In this Part 2 of 2 of this blog series, we’ll provide some additional explanation behind the recommendations made in those brochures and we’ll review additional suggestions from USDA/FSIS on removing obnoxious odors when food has spoiled in any refrigerator/freezer.
(Image of interior of refrigerator from USDA/FSIS pdf Food Safety: Removing Odors from Refrigerators & Freezers).
BACKGROUND ON WHY DO SOME FOOD ITEMS SPOIL?
No one looks forward to clearing out spoiled and or potentially hazardous food (PHF) items that remain in any cold storage device refrigerator/freezer that lost power for too long. Once the contents of any previously properly working cold food storage device have been above 40° F for 2 hours, the time window has closed on any PHF items still being considered safe to eat and it is time to properly dispose of them. A synopsis of the advisements coming out of USDA/FSIS concerning food safety guidelines were provided in Part 1 of 2 of this blog series.
Many steps are involved in what is called the ecological progression of food spoiling, and not all of them result in an off odor or off taste, which is why you CANNOT rely on your sense of smell and should NEVER subject your mouth to tasting at-risk food items–IF IN DOUBT, SIMPLY THROW IT OUT when it comes to the potentially dangerous food item–NEVER taste it.
It can take some time (depending on a number of factors) before the nasty smell of released ammonia as well as hydrogen sulfide from rotting protein, or the rancid smell of degrading fats is noticeable. Those are putrid odors that none of us enjoys being exposed to, but it can take longer than the 2 hour window above 40°F of food safety expiring before those odors may exist.
Please don’t take any chances when it comes to PHF items that have been above 40° F for 2 hours or more–do not consume them as the last thing anyone needs when still coping with the aftermath of a storm system such as Superstorm Sandy is to have to deal with any episodes of food borne illness/food poisoning.
PHF items provide a nutrient breeding ground that various kinds of organisms can have a field day with enjoying and degrading same as they grow on/in it.
Food safety advisements reflect microbiology basic principles. Those principles address how a succession of undesirable organisms can grow using PHF as the growth medium. Food spoilage (which causes obnoxious putrefaction when protein is involved) is in effect due to the ecological succession of undesirable, unintentional, uncontrolled growth of proteolytic bacteria that take advantage of a more desirable growth environment and benefit from that opportunity. A whole cascade chain of events can result because literally one change in the food’s status leads to another and another and sequential opportunities for so many various organisms to flourish.
Why are some food items simply more perishable than others you ask? Because bacteria, for example, have their preferences for growth/reproduction. Bad bacteria, however, are NOT the only cause of food-borne illness, so you need to protect yourself and your family against all the possible offenders.
There are many species of bacteria and each of them has their preferences. Bacteria (and other organisms) need access to a number of things some food items provide more of than other food items do. They are looking for the most hospitable environment possible to enable them to multiple as rapidly as possible and not be killed off.
Some of the factors in the “food” environment which affect bacterial growth include, but are not limited to:
- Temperature: bacteria love warmth that doesn’t cause death. Remember that optimal refrigerator & freezer cold temps only slow down reproduction of bacteria–they don’t kill bacteria. Keep food out of the danger zone of above 40° F and below 140° F. A working refrigerator should be at an optimal temperature of less than 40°F; while freezers should optimally be kept at or below 0° F and preferably at -10°F (aka sub-zero)
- Growth medium: bacteria love protein; other substances prefer to cause rancidity in fats
- Available H2O/moisture: bacteria love moisture; drying of food products is a historical method of food preservation
- Higher pH: bacteria and other organisms don’t like the acidic pH of items such as ketchup and mustard since both are typically below 4.0 on the pH scale; organisms like pH levels that get closer and closer to alkaline levels
- Lack of sodium: bacteria dislike sodium because higher sodium content negatively impacts their growth;
- O2 or CO2, etc, Gas content of environmental atmosphere: organisms love specific gas mixtures (which is why some foods are stored in what is called modified atmospheric packaging aka MAP to alter the gas mixtures and thus decrease microbial growth rates).
REMOVING ODORS WHEN FOOD HAS SPOILED IN THE REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER CAVITY
If PHF has spoiled in the cavity of a cold storage unit such as a refrigerator/freezer, such as during a power outage, and lingering objectionable odors remain, those odors can sometimes be quite difficult to remove as the USDA/FSIS materials note. If the unit is salvageable, then you can see if any of the following might help with the situation once you have disposed of any questionable or definitely spoiled food items.
The following advice is taken directly from the USDA/FSIS materials on Removing Odors From Refrigerators and Freezers. Please note that USDA/FSIS cautions that any procedures may have to be repeated more than once.
- Remove all unit shelves, crisper drawers, and ice trays. Wash them thoroughly with hot water and detergent. Then rinse them with a sanitizing solution (1 tablespoon unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of potable water).
- Wash the interior of the refrigerator and freezer, including the door(s) and gasket(s), with hot water and baking soda. Rinse with a sanitizing solution (1 tablespoon unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of potable water). Allow to air out several days. {We will add that you might need/want to replace any older/worn/failing gaskets}
- Leave the door(s) open for about 15 minutes to allow free air circulation.
If odors remain, try any or all of the following:
- Wipe surfaces inside each entire refrigerator or freezer unit with equal parts vinegar and water. Vinegar provides acid which destroys mildew.
- Leave the unit door(s) open and allow the refrigerator and freezer units to air out for several days.
- Stuff the interior of each refrigerator or freezer unit with rolled newspapers. Close the door and leave alone for several days. Then remove the newspapers and clean each unit’s interior thoroughly with vinegar and water.
- Sprinkle fresh coffee grounds or baking soda loosely in a large, shallow container and place one container in the bottom of each refrigerator and freezer unit.
- Place a cotton swab soaked with vanilla [extract] inside each refrigerator and freezer compartment. Close each unit’s door(s) for 24 hours. Re-check for continued interior presence of any objectionable odors.
- Use a commercial product for absorbing objectionable odors available at hardware and housewares stores. Follow the manufacturers’ instructions.
As we mentioned in Part 1 of 2 of this blog post series, it is very difficult to deal with the aftermath of any massive storm system that causes so much significant destruction and what feels like endless disruption in any area. Often recovery can take days, weeks, and months.
Don’t try to simultaneously deal with all the various issues that arise –prioritize and deal with the most critical issues first.
Asking for help and giving help can potentially provide some relief where it is most needed when it is most needed.
Neighbors helping neighbors can go a long way to making those days, weeks and months that much more tolerable for all involved.