Health risk from prolonged power cuts in Northland

Health authorities are warning Northlanders experiencing power cuts to be wary of the food in their refrigerators and freezers.

Medical Officer of Health, Dr Jonathan Jarman, said that many homes with prolonged power cuts would now have to throw out all the food in their refrigerators and freezers: “Some homes in Northland haven’t had any power for 48 hours and the food in their freezer is now well on the way to thawing.”

Dr Jarman said that the risk of growth of microorganisms greatly increases once food reaches the temperature of 5 degrees Celsius or above for more than two hours.

He said: “It is simply not worth the risk to eat frozen food that has warmed up. A rip-roaring tummy bug on top of a power cut in the middle of winter would simply be no fun.”

Dr Jarman said that there were some easy guidelines to follow if people were uncertain whether or not to throw out thawed food. “Some food can be either refrozen or used immediately, if the packaging still contains ice crystals and the inside of the freezer has not gone above 5 degrees Celsius. These types of food include frozen meat or chicken, frozen bread and cakes, and frozen vegetables. However some semi-thawed foods should always be thrown out. Ice cream and frozen yogurts are two examples.”

In contrast almost all frozen foods that have been thawed for more than two hours should be discarded.

Dr Jarman said that throwing out the contents of a freezer could be an expensive option for some people.

He said: “I strongly recommend that people get expert advice if they are not certain whether or not to discard food.” He urged people to contact their local district council environmental health officers, or a health protection officer from the Northland District Health Board, if they needed more information.

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For further information please contact: 

Dr Jonathan Jarman

Medical Officer of Health

Phone 09 430 4101 ext. 7870