Portland police guard dumpsters full of discarded food at Fred Meyer

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — About a dozen police officers guarded dumpsters filled with perishable food outside a Portland Fred Meyer as people attempted to take the items that were discarded when the store lost power.

The Oregonian/Oregon Live reported that on Tuesday, employees at a Fred Meyer in the northeast part of the city threw out thousands of items that were deemed no longer safe for consumption.

The store was one of many that lost power following a weekend winter storm. As of Wednesday, more than 150,000 remained in the dark in the greater Portland area.

In a statement, Fred Meyer said the food was thrown away “out of an abundance of caution.” The Oregon Health Authority also has requirements for licensed facilities during a power outage in order to prevent food-borne illnesses.

Read more at: https://apnews.com/article/portland-storms-oregon-4eebd2cd2f1b9f798667994bc871a647