Expert: Walter Hintz - 3/23/2008

Question
My refrigerator blew a fuse the other day and it took me 14 Hrs. to catch it as I thouhgt the light was just out.I lost all my meat but what about my dairy products which I bought at 9 pm and discoverd the fuse in the morning was blown. What about my miracle whip light which was purchased a few days ago? What about my salad dressings and my other fresh produce like lettuce, onions, and carrots? Milk (Skim) and Cottage Cheese?

Answer
Hi frank;
The vegetables should not be a problem. If the milk is not sour you can still use it.  Get rid of the meat.
The Botulism bacterium is an anaerobe and will not grow on these foods.  It grows in sealed alkaline foods like green beans..  The food poisoning germ Salmonella could be in the salad dressings if they were exposed.  If they smell or look bad discard them.