Public Health NOTICE to all health-regulated establishments

NOTICE TO ALL HEALTH REGULATED ESTABLISHMENTS

The Division of Environmental Health of the Department of Public Health and Social Services would like to remind all health-regulated establishments that in the event of a power and/or water outage, affected businesses must ensure appropriate measures are implemented in protecting their customers:

All Food and Water Vending Establishments

• Power must be available at all times in order to operate your business.
• If there is no power and/or water, the food establishment operators must cease operations. 
• If a generator is used as an alternate power source, food establishment operators must ensure that all cold holding temperatures are maintained at or below 41^o F for refrigerator units and at or below 0^o F for freezer units, and all hot holding temperatures are maintained at or above 140^o F.
• Hot water must be provided at a temperature of at least 100^o F for all handwashing sinks.

Schools and Child Care Establishments

• Adequate lighting must be provided to promote safety and comfortable lighting environment.
• Ventilation shall be adequate to provide proper circulation of needed air within a room by either windows or mechanical ventilators.  No class room shall exceed a temperature of 84^o F.
• If there is no power and/or water, food preparation must cease.. 
• If a generator is used as an alternate power source, food operations must ensure that all cold holding temperatures are maintained at or below 41^o F for refrigerator units and at or below 0^o F for freezer units, and all hot holding temperatures are maintained at or above 140^o F.
• Hot water must be provided at a temperature of at least 100^o F for all handwashing sinks.

Food Safety

• Maintain all perishable food below 41^o F or above 140^o F.
• Discard any perishable food (i.e., meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk) that has been in refrigerator or freezer at or above 41^o F for 4 hours or more.
• Frozen food that is still somewhat thawed or has ice crystals can still be refrozen, or used immediately.
• When in doubt, throw it out.

For further information, please contact the Food Safety Program of the Division of Environmental Health at 735-7221 or via email at dphss-deh@dphss.guam.gov.