Did you know that a flood, fire, national disaster, or the loss of power from high winds, snow, or ice could jeopardize the safety of your food? Knowing how to determine if food is safe and how to keep food safe will help minimize the potential loss of food and reduce the risk of foodborne illness. This fact sheet will help you make the right decisions for keeping your family safe during an emergency.
ABCD’s of Keeping Food Safe in an Emergency
Always keep meat, poultry, fish, and eggs refrigerated at or below 40 °F and frozen food at or below 0 °F. This may be difficult when the power is out.
Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. Obtain dry or block ice to keep your 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 hold an 18-cubic foot full freezer for 2 days. Plan ahead and know where dry ice and block ice can be purchased.
Be prepared for an emergency…
… by having items on hand that don’t require refrigeration and can be eaten cold or heated on the outdoor grill. Shelf-stable food, boxed or canned milk, water, and canned goods should be part of a planned emergency food supply. Make sure you have ready-to-use baby formula for infants and pet food. Remember to use these items and replace them from time to time. Be sure to keep a hand-held can opener for an emergency.
Consider what you can do ahead of time to store your food safely in an emergency. If you live in a location that could be affected by a flood, plan your food storage on shelves that will be safely out of the way of contaminated water. Coolers are a great help for keeping food cold if the power will be out for more than 4 hours—have a couple on hand along with frozen gel packs. When your freezer is not full, keep items close together—this helps the food stay cold longer.
Digital, dial, or instant-read food thermometers and appliance thermometers will help you know if the food is at safe temperatures. Keep appliance thermometers in the refrigerator and freezer at all times. When the power is out, an appliance thermometer will always indicate the temperature in the refrigerator and freezer no matter how long the power has been out. The refrigerator temperature should be 40 °F or below; the freezer, 0 °F or lower. If you’re not sure a particular food is cold enough, take its temperature with a food thermometer.
Above from USDA website for Safe Foods
Power Outages
Plan Ahead
- 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.
- Group foods together in both the refrigerator and freezer. This helps foods stay cold longer.
- Keep the freezer full. Fill empty spaces with frozen plastic jugs of water, bags of ice, or gel packs.
- Freeze refrigerated items that you may not need immediately, such as leftovers, milk, and fresh meat and poultry. This will keep them at a safe temperature longer.
- Have a large, insulated cooler and frozen gel packs available. Perishable foods will stay safe in a refrigerator only 4 hours.
- Find out where dry ice and block ice can be purchased.
During a Power Outage
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed.
- The refrigerator will keep food safe for up to 4 hours. If the power is off longer, you can 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.
- A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full).
- Obtain dry ice or block ice if your power is going to be out for a prolonged period. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic-foot freezer for 2 days. (Caution: Do not touch dry ice with bare hands or place it in direct contact with food.)
- In freezers, food in the front, in the door, or in small, thin packages will defrost faster than large, thick items or food in the back or bottom of the unit.
- During a snowstorm, do not place perishable food out in the snow. Outside temperatures can vary and food can be exposed to unsanitary conditions and animals. Instead, make ice. Fill buckets, empty milk containers, or cans with water and leave them outside to freeze. Use the homemade ice in your refrigerator, freezer, or coolers.
After a Power Outage
- Never taste food to determine its safety. When In Doubt, Throw It Out!
Refrigerated Foods
Unsafe Foods
- Discard the following if your refrigerator has been without power for more than 4 hours:
- raw, cooked, or leftover meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and egg substitutes;
- luncheon meat and hot dogs;
- casseroles, soups, stews, and pizza;
- mixed salads (i.e., chicken, tuna, macaroni, potato);
- gravy and stuffing;
- milk, cream, yogurt, sour cream, and soft cheeses;
- cut fruits and vegetables (fresh);
- cooked vegetables;
- fruit and vegetable juices (opened);
- creamy-based salad dressing;
- batters and doughs (i.e., pancake batter, cookie dough);
- custard, chiffon, or cheese pies;
- cream-filled pastries; and
- garlic stored in oil.
- Discard opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce, and horseradish if they were held above 50 °F for over 8 hours.
- Discard any foods like bread or salad greens that may have become contaminated by juices dripping from raw meat, poultry, or fish.
- In general, if any food has an unusual odor, color, or texture, throw it out.
Safe-to-Eat Foods
- High-acid foods such as mustard, ketchup, relishes, pickles, non-creamy salad dressings, jams, and jellies; however, they may spoil sooner.
- Foods that don’t actually require refrigeration. These foods may be used unless they turn moldy or have an unusual odor;
- whole fruits and vegetables (fresh);
- fruit and vegetable juices (unopened);
- dried fruits and coconut;
- baked goods such as fruit pies, bread, rolls, muffins, and cakes (except those with cream cheese frosting or cream fillings);
- hard and processed cheeses;
- butter and margarine;
- fresh herbs and spices;
- flour; and
- nuts.
Frozen Foods
Safe-to-Eat Foods
- Frozen foods that have thawed, but still contain ice crystals.
- Foods that have remained at refrigerator temperatures — 40 °F or below. They may be safely refrozen; however, their quality may suffer.
- Foods that don’t actually need to be frozen. These foods may be used unless they turn moldy or have an unusual odor:
- dried fruits and coconut;
- baked goods including fruit pies, bread, rolls, muffins, and cakes (except for those with cream cheese frosting or cream fillings);
- hard and processed cheeses;
- butter and margarine;
- fruit juices; and
- nuts.
- Never taste food to determine its safety.
WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT!
Removing Odors From Refrigerators and Freezers
The following steps may have to be repeated several times:
- Dispose of any spoiled or questionable food.
- Remove shelves, crispers, and ice trays. Wash them thoroughly with hot water and detergent. Then rinse with a sanitizing solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water.
- Wash the interior of the refrigerator and freezer, including the door and gaskets, with hot water and baking soda. Rinse with a sanitizing solution (see above).
- Leave the door open for about 15 minutes.
If odor remains, try any or all of the following:
- Wipe the inside of the unit with equal parts of vinegar and water to destroy mildew.
- Leave the door open and allow to air out for several days.
- Stuff the refrigerator and freezer with rolled newspapers. Keep the door closed for several days. Remove the newspaper and clean with vinegar and water.
- Sprinkle fresh coffee grounds or baking soda loosely in a large, shallow container in the bottom of the unit.
- Use a commercial product available at hardware and houseware stores. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Note: If odors still remain, the unit may need to be discarded.
The above information is from USDA’s website for Keep Your Food Safe. It has additional information for other situations like Flood and Fire. At the end of the USDA webpage, there are several related information links that may be of interest to you.