RE: IRENE - food safety, personal asap

August 31, 2011

Hi -

We had two outages in IL this summer, both >48 hrs.

My home owners insurance policy paid $400 each time (max pay out amount is $500

per the policy) to replace perishable foods. We paid no deductible. I'd say be

safe and replace.

Osowski MS, RD, LD

Registered Dietitian

Sent from my iPhone

> Hello all. I need advice. My electricity has been out since Sunday 2 am.

> Now Wednesday.

>

> Frozen vegetables - can they be refrozen?

>

> American cheese, Swiss cheese, Soy cheese. If they are not moldy do they

> need to be thrown out or can they be saved?

>

> Meat frozen in my deep freeze. They are just defrosted (door was not

> opened). They are even cool to the touch. How do I decide if I can

> marinade and cook this morning and then freeze at someone else's house (who

> knows when electricity is returning). If in doubt I throw it out, but hate

> to waste if I can cook and freeze.

>

> I need to act shortly. Please advise. Thank you,

>

> Mazarin, MS, RD, CNS

>

August 31, 2011

Hi -

We had two outages in IL this summer, both >48 hrs.

My home owners insurance policy paid $400 each time (max pay out amount is $500

per the policy) to replace perishable foods. We paid no deductible. I'd say be

safe and replace.

Osowski MS, RD, LD

Registered Dietitian

Sent from my iPhone

> Hello all. I need advice. My electricity has been out since Sunday 2 am.

> Now Wednesday.

>

> Frozen vegetables - can they be refrozen?

>

> American cheese, Swiss cheese, Soy cheese. If they are not moldy do they

> need to be thrown out or can they be saved?

>

> Meat frozen in my deep freeze. They are just defrosted (door was not

> opened). They are even cool to the touch. How do I decide if I can

> marinade and cook this morning and then freeze at someone else's house (who

> knows when electricity is returning). If in doubt I throw it out, but hate

> to waste if I can cook and freeze.

>

> I need to act shortly. Please advise. Thank you,

>

> Mazarin, MS, RD, CNS

>

August 31, 2011

Hi -

We had two outages in IL this summer, both >48 hrs.

My home owners insurance policy paid $400 each time (max pay out amount is $500

per the policy) to replace perishable foods. We paid no deductible. I'd say be

safe and replace.

Osowski MS, RD, LD

Registered Dietitian

Sent from my iPhone

> Hello all. I need advice. My electricity has been out since Sunday 2 am.

> Now Wednesday.

>

> Frozen vegetables - can they be refrozen?

>

> American cheese, Swiss cheese, Soy cheese. If they are not moldy do they

> need to be thrown out or can they be saved?

>

> Meat frozen in my deep freeze. They are just defrosted (door was not

> opened). They are even cool to the touch. How do I decide if I can

> marinade and cook this morning and then freeze at someone else's house (who

> knows when electricity is returning). If in doubt I throw it out, but hate

> to waste if I can cook and freeze.

>

> I need to act shortly. Please advise. Thank you,

>

> Mazarin, MS, RD, CNS

>

August 31, 2011

Thank you

Mazarin, MS, RD, CNS

From: rd-usa [mailto:rd-usa ] On Behalf Of

Osowski

Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 9:14 AM

To: rd-usa

Cc: <rd-usa >

Subject: Re: IRENE - food safety, personal asap

Hi -

We had two outages in IL this summer, both >48 hrs.

My home owners insurance policy paid $400 each time (max pay out amount is

$500 per the policy) to replace perishable foods. We paid no deductible. I'd

say be safe and replace.

Osowski MS, RD, LD

Registered Dietitian

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 31, 2011, at 7:30 AM, " Mazarin " <nm.eatrite@...

<mailto:nm.eatrite%40verizon.net> > wrote:

> Hello all. I need advice. My electricity has been out since Sunday 2 am.

> Now Wednesday.

>

> Frozen vegetables - can they be refrozen?

>

> American cheese, Swiss cheese, Soy cheese. If they are not moldy do they

> need to be thrown out or can they be saved?

>

> Meat frozen in my deep freeze. They are just defrosted (door was not

> opened). They are even cool to the touch. How do I decide if I can

> marinade and cook this morning and then freeze at someone else's house

(who

> knows when electricity is returning). If in doubt I throw it out, but hate

> to waste if I can cook and freeze.

>

> I need to act shortly. Please advise. Thank you,

>

> Mazarin, MS, RD, CNS

>

August 31, 2011

Is this as her home? Or place of work? It makes a difference so I qualify

the response.

1) Everything in a refrigerator that goes out, needs to be tempd and if

it reaches >45 degrees (regs is 41 degrees safety zone) then timed and

either cooked or discarded permanently. Remember the HACCP guidelines for

either 2 hrs or 4 hrs. Since you don't know how long handling during

delivery and restocking has taken, then err on the cautious side and under

calculate the time.

2) Frozen foods must remain frozen, or cooked and used or discarded.

When a frozen food thaws (i.e., reaches 41 degrees and is no longer hard to

the touch), it is treated just like a refrigerated food. Therefore, frozen

vegetables must be cooked and used or discarded. They will lose quality

immediately and maybe change of taste. Vegetables by nature are high in

water content, and the frozen water cells expand (think making ice in a

plastic bottle), and when thawed will shrink again to liquid size. As water

leaves the product (ooze, drain) the product cells shrink, natural juices

drain out, product will be somewhat dehydrated and lose flavor and texture.

Probably nutrients are also lost. Meats will start deteriorating the minute

they reach refrigeration temps, so unless cryovac'd (and then they shouldn't

be frozen), they must be cooked & used or discarded within 3 days.

Anything that is cooked today can be kept for 3 days refrigerated, or as

long as freezer life indicates if frozen, but that's a lot of cooking to be

done!

I trust the aged cheeses will be OK, especially if heavily processed.

However, I'd not use them as RTE product, I'd make sure they're used as

ingredients in a cooked product, then not reused as a leftover. Same with 1

& 2 above.

Whenever I experience a power loss or a refrigerator/freezer breakdown, I

order dry ice to place in the units. However, dt the hurricane there

probably is no delivery of anything available.

From: rd-usa [mailto:rd-usa ] On Behalf Of

Mazarin

Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 5:30 AM

To: rd-usa

Subject: IRENE - food safety, personal asap

Hello all. I need advice. My electricity has been out since Sunday 2 am.

Now Wednesday.

Frozen vegetables - can they be refrozen?

American cheese, Swiss cheese, Soy cheese. If they are not moldy do they

need to be thrown out or can they be saved?

Meat frozen in my deep freeze. They are just defrosted (door was not

opened). They are even cool to the touch. How do I decide if I can

marinade and cook this morning and then freeze at someone else's house (who

knows when electricity is returning). If in doubt I throw it out, but hate

to waste if I can cook and freeze.

I need to act shortly. Please advise. Thank you,

Mazarin, MS, RD, CNS

August 31, 2011

Digna, this is for me. Can I call you now to ask a few questions? My email

is nm.eatrite@... . my phone 8is , I am at my office

and will ait to hear from you. I am then on my way home to decide.

Mazarin, MS, RD, CNS

From: rd-usa [mailto:rd-usa ] On Behalf Of

Digna Cassens

Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 9:34 AM

To: rd-usa

Subject: RE: IRENE - food safety, personal asap