With hundreds of Lawrence countians still without electricity, and others facing flooding due to the recent heavy precipitation, health officials are warning people to be cautious about foodstuffs.

Sue Gunstream, Environmental Health Director for the Lawrence County Health Department, said her office has fielded many questions lately from people who want to know if the food in their refrigerator is still safe, even though they have been without power for a few days.

"The key thing to remember is that food in the refrigerator needs to be kept at or below 40 degree Fahrenheit for it to be safe," Gunstream said. "A normal refrigerator will keep it at or below 40 degrees for four hours if the door is not opened. In a freezer, food must be kept at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Normally, a freezer will be kept at 0 degrees for 24-48 hours if the door is not opened."

Gunstream said the food that poses the greatest concern and are the most potentially hazardous are meats, fish, eggs, poultry, and dairy products. These foods should be discarded if they have been kept at a temperature above 40 degrees in the refrigerator or 0 degrees in the freezer.

Soft cheeses such as cottage cheese, cream cheese and Brie should also be discarded if they have not been kept at an inappropriate temperature. Hard cheeses such as Parmesan, cheddar, Swiss and provolone pose less of a threat than soft ones.

"We are often asked if people can refreeze foods once they have partially thawed," Gunstream said. "You can refreeze if the food still contains ice crystals or are at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit."

Fresh fruits and vegetables kept in the refrigerator should be okay if their temperature reaches a level below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

"They key thing is that tasting food is not the way to tell if it's safe to eat or not," Gunstream emphasized. "This is not a determining factor for food safety."

In the event of flooding, Gunstream said all foods that come into contact with flood water should be discarded, even those in cans, as there is no way to adequately sanitize the outside of cans to remove germs.

Gunstream emphasized that if in doubt about a food's safety, throw it out, rather than risk illness from it. Those who have questions may contact the Lawrence County Health Department at 532-3962 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.