Karine Lawrence, Principal of Sirocco Food & Wine Consulting, was featured in an article by Fortis BC.
When to pitch the potato salad
In Southern BC, we can take our fridges for granted—well, most of the time. There are times when weather, wildlife and wear can take a toll on the 7,200 kilometres of poles and wires we maintain, so it’s important to be prepared for unexpected power outages.
A question we’re sometimes asked when this happens is: “how long will my food keep during an outage?”
For answers, we reached out to Karine Lawrence. As a food scientist, she cares about safe food storage and handling practices in industrial and food service settings. She keeps informed about emerging foodborne pathogens that can cause outbreaks.
As a busy mom of two living through all that the Okanagan’s four seasons can bring, she wants to avoid food waste while keeping her family safe.
Her top recommendation is to be ready and informed before the power goes out. That means practicing safe food handling techniques.
“Your food has a better chance of staying safe during an outage if it’s been safely handled at all times and stored at a safe temperature,” explained Karine.