Extended power outages can mean big losses when it comes to a stocked refrigerator.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers the following guidance for determining what can be kept and what should be thrown out, and how long is too long.
First of all, it's important not to open your refrigerator or freezer once your power goes out. You want to keep the doors shut in order to keep things cold as long as possible.
Perishables like milk, meat and eggs shouldn't be stored above 40 degrees for more than two hours. It's good practice to keep an appliance thermometer in your fridge and freezer, but don't open the door to check it when the power is out — that will let cold air escape.
"What we're trying to make sure we maintain is 40 degrees or 41 degrees and below," says Hamilton County Public Health Environmental Health Director Jeremy Hessel. "Once it reaches that, you really have a threshold of about two hours to either cook that product or transfer that product into ice chests and keep that stuff cold.
"After that, it's going to be pretty much throwaway food because we're past that threshold, and bacteria is going to start to grow on that food, and we don't want to eat that."
Here are additional resources on food safety from the Hamilton County health department.
The USDA provides the following guidelines:
- Monitor temperatures: Keep an appliance thermometer in both the refrigerator and freezer. Make sure the refrigerator temperature is at 40° F or below and the freezer is at 0° F or below.
- 4-hour window: Your refrigerator will keep food safe for up to 4 hours during a power outage. After 4 hours without power, discard refrigerated perishable food. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers must be thrown out.
- When in doubt, throw it out: Never taste food to determine its safety. Evaluate each item separately by using this chart as a guide.
- Food keeps longer in a freezer: If the doors stay closed, food will stay safe for up to 48 hours in a full freezer and 24 hours in a half-full freezer.
- Use a cooler: Transfer food to a cooler and fill with ice or frozen gel packs. Make sure there is enough ice to keep food in the cooler at 40° F or below. Add more ice to the cooler as it begins to melt.
You don't have to throw out everything, however. Some items such as butter, margarine, hard or processed cheeses, uncut fruits and vegetables, fruit juices, canned fruits (opened), breads, and a variety of condiments. Again, refer to this chart to help you decide.
If you don't have a thermometer in your freezer, the Food and Drug Administration advises you to "check each package of food to determine its safety. You can’t rely on appearance or odor. If the food still contains ice crystals or is 40° F or below, it is safe to refreeze or cook."
Additionally, the FDA says dry ice can be used to keep your fridge cold:
- Buy dry or block ice to keep the refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should keep an 18 cubic foot, fully stocked freezer cold for two days.
For more questions about food safety, contact the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) to talk to a food safety expert or chat live at ask.usda.gov from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
The American Red Cross also provides food safety instructions in Spanish.
Para leer en español: Food and Water in an Emergency - Spanish
SNAP benefits
Those who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may be eligible for replacement benefits for food lost to storm-related power outages. You have 10 days to apply for replacement benefits, according to the Cincinnati Health Department.
The agency shares the following information on how to apply:
Ohio SNAP Recipients
- Complete Ohio Jobs and Family Services (JFS) Form 07222 and submit it to the county JFS office.
- JFS requires documentation of the extended power outage to process the application, so applicants should include verification with their applications.
- Verification can include screen shots of news reports, text or email alerts, or outage maps that show their specific area was without power for four or more hours.
Kentucky SNAP Recipients
- Contact the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Applications are accepted over the phone at 855-306-8959
- Applications can also be made in-person at local DCBS offices (Victory Center, 8311 US Hwy 42, Florence, KY 41042)
- Applicants are strongly encouraged to have their case number available.
Indiana SNAP Recipients
The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration issued the following statement:
Households that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits who lost food due to storm damage or power outages may be eligible for replacement benefits. Affected individuals will need to submit an affidavit for replacement benefits. The affidavit must be submitted within 10 days of the event and the loss (due to power outage, flood, etc.) must be verified. Please contact your local Division of Family Resources to start the replacement process.
Read more:
