Tag Archives: Juice

Ice storm hits Manhattan: Keeping food safe 30 hours later

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The novelty is wearing off.

As I noted yesterday, the Midwest U.S. was hit with an ice storm that started in Manhattan Monday evening. Our power went off Tuesday morning about 3 a.m. Sure, it was fun last night as we worked by candlelight until our batteries ran out, and had a friend and her dogs over for a sleepover by our gas fireplace (which keeps the primary rooms at a comfortable 62F), but awakening to darkness again was less fun.

Kansas State University is open and has full power this a.m., but a large chunk of central Manhattan is still without electricity.

USDA has a laundry list of food safety recommendations at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/NR_121007_01/index.asp.

Here’s my experience, after 30 hours of no electricity.

The freezer (left) is of no use, with an internal temperature of 51F, but that’s largely because I moved the valuable foods to a cooler outside.

The fridge (right) is of some use, at 52F. Yoghurt, cheese, condiments, produce, they will be good for awhile yet.

The cooler outside is working well, with a temperature of 30F. The frozen items may suffer some deterioration in quality, but things like milk and raw (unfrozen) meat are doing fine. I could buy some ice and add it if I wanted to bring the temperature down further.

Here’s hoping we get some power soon.

Ice storm hits Manhattan — keeping food safe

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The power starting going on and off about midnight. A tree branch went through a neighbor’s  car windshield at 3 a.m. The electricity has been out since 4 a.m.

And it’s going to get worse.

The freezing rain and ice storms throughout the Midwest hit Manhattan (Kansas, that is) hard last night. Tree branches loaded with ice are falling every five minutes. So after a leisurely morning spent decorating the Christmas tree and praising our gas fireplace, gas stove, gas water heater and gas barbecue, we couldn’t take it anymore and walked the dogs up to Kansas State University — which is closed, but does have electricity and Internet.

Before leaving I noticed the refrigerator contents were warming up. Same with the freezer. We’ve been eating our way through the perishables, and moved the high-risk foods to a cooler and placed it on the front porch, where it is 32F.

In anticipation of the storm, USDA sent an advisory yesterday, Keeping food safe during an emergency. I can’t really argue with most of the points, below.

And if the news is slow getting out on the listservs, you now know why.

Steps to follow to prepare for a possible weather emergency:

* Keep an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer. An appliance thermometer will indicate the temperature in the refrigerator and freezer in case of a power outage and help determine the safety of the food.

* Make sure the freezer is at or below 0° F and the refrigerator is at or below 40° F.

* Freeze containers of water for ice to help keep food cold in the freezer, refrigerator or coolers after the power is out.

* Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately – this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer.

* Plan ahead and know where dry ice and block ice can be purchased.

* Store food on shelves that will be safely out of the way of contaminated water in case of flooding.

* Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerator food cold if the power will be out for more than four hours. Purchase or make ice cubes and store in the freezer for use in the refrigerator or in a cooler. Freeze gel packs ahead of time for use in coolers.

* Group food together in the freezer — this helps the food stay cold longer.

Steps to follow after the weather emergency:

* Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.

* The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full and the door remains closed.)

* Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40° F or below.

* When in Doubt, Throw it Out.

Crisis management 101

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The San Francisco Chronicle reports this morning that a single employee’s illness at a single San Jose store propelled Jamba Juice into a high-profile damage control effort Friday as health authorities said thousands of customers might have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus.

Jamba Juice spokeswoman Anne Baker was cited as saying the staffer didn’t contract the virus from the store at 1140 Lincoln Ave. in San Jose or its products. But because it’s possible that the worker distributed virus particles, the store was cleaned and sanitized Wednesday night after the company learned of the worker’s illness.

The virus is found in the feces of infected people, who can deposit it on food or surfaces even if they wash their hands after going to the bathroom. But hand washing is one of the most important measures to prevent contagion.

Don’t serve poop.

Jamba Juice jolt

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Martin Fenstersheib, the chief medical officer for Santa Clara County, was cited as saying on Thursday that about 4,000 customers could be at risk after a worker at a Jamba Juice store in San Jose, California, developed hepatitis A, adding,

"During the time she was infectious, she was also working at Jamba Juice, so we were concerned that even though there is a corporate policy of good hand washing, you can’t be 100 percent sure."

Paul Clayton, Jamba Juice’s chief executive, was quoted as saying in a statement,

"Jamba Juice will pay eligible individuals, who satisfy the reimbursement requirements, their reasonable, out-of-pocket medical expenses related to the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis A."

Wash your hands. And don’t serve poop.