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.
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.
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
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