The Saskatchewan Health Authority is reminding residents to take extra precautions to ensure frozen or refrigerated food is safe after a power outage. It is important to recognize that extended power outages can affect the safety of food in refrigerators and freezers. The following are recommendations to ensure food safety following a power outage.​

Refrigerated Foods:

Foods listed below that have been stored above 4°C (40°F) for more than 2 hours should be discarded:

• raw or cooked meat products, including cold cuts
• poultry and poultry products
• fish and seafood
• milk and milk products, including yogurt and soft cheese
• casseroles, stews, soups
• salads such as pasta, potato, and rice

Frozen Foods:

• Frozen Foods should be kept at -18°C (0°F).  If frozen foods have thawed or have begun thaw, please take the actions recommended below.
• Discard thawed vegetables, fish, shellfish, ice cream and frozen foods because bacteria multiply rapidly in these foods.
• Partially thawed foods that still contain ice crystals can be safely refrozen.  However partial thawing and refreezing reduces the quality of most foods.
• Fruits that still look and smell good may be refrozen.

Disposal of Food:

When in doubt, throw it out!

• If food must be thrown away, document the type and amount of food and the reason for disposal, so that you can provide the information to regulators and your insurance company.
• Small amounts of food to be thrown away can be treated with a cleaning product (such as bleach) so that they will not be eaten, and placed in the outside garbage bin.
• To throw away large amounts of food, contact your garbage disposal company or your local landfill operator for disposal instruction

​Cleaning of Refrigerators and Freezers:

The refrigerators and freezers in stores, day cares, schools and other public facilities should be cleaned and sanitized after discarding food to prevent cross contamination of new food.  The following steps will help keep the new food safe.

1. Empty food from the unit and discard as recommended above;
2. Wash the interior of the unit and racks with warm water and detergent;
3. Sanitize the interior of the unit and racks with a solution of household bleach and water (one (1) tablespoon of bleach in six (6) cups of water—solution can be applied with a spray bottle.
4. Let sanitizing solution stand for 45 seconds and then wipe dry with a clean cloth; and,
5. Restock the unit once it has reached proper temperatures:
   1. 4°C (40°F) for Refrigerators
   2. -18°C (0°F) for Freezers.

Please remember not to mix the bleach solution with other cleaning products!  Left over bleach solution should be poured down the drain of a sink.