Food Safety After the Power Goes Out

If the power goes out, it important to take careful precautions to ensure food safety. The risk of food poisoning is heightened when refrigerators and ovens are inoperable.

Follow these tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• If the power is out for less than 2 hours, the food in your refrigerator and freezer will be safe to consume. While the power is out, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to keep food cold for longer.
• If the power is out for longer than 2 hours, follow the guidelines below:
  • For the Freezer section: A freezer that is half full will hold food safely for up to 24 hours. A full freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours. Do not open the freezer door if you can avoid it.
  • For the Refrigerated section: Pack milk, other dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, gravy, and spoilable leftovers into a cooler surrounded by ice. Inexpensive Styrofoam coolers are fine for this purpose.
• Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of your food right before you cook or eat it. Throw away any food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Discard any food that has been at room temperature for two hours or more, and any food that has an unusual odor, color or texture. Just remember, “When in doubt, throw it out!”

Always wash your hands with soap and water that has been boiled and cooled or disinfected. Wash your hands:

• After using the bathroom or changing a diaper
• After handling uncooked food
• After playing with a pet
• After handling garbage
• After tending to someone who is sick or injured
• After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
• After participating in flood cleanup activities
• After handling articles contaminated with flood water or sewage
• Before preparing or eating food
• Before treating a cut or wound
• Before inserting or removing contact lenses

  Fight cross-contamination, which is the transfer of harmful bacteria to food from other foods, cutting boards or utensils. Never place any type of food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry or seafood.

• Use a meat thermometer to ensure that food reaches a safe internal temperature.
• Hamburgers and ground meat should be cooked to 160 F.
• Poultry should be cooked to 170 F.
• Roasts, steaks and other large cuts of beef should be cooked to 145 F (rare) and 160 F (medium).
• Fish should be cooked until the meat is opaque and flakes easily.
• Use sanitized food and water bowls for your pets and be sure that they do not drink from flood-contaminated surfaces.
• For more information, call the toll-free USDA/FSIS Meat and Poultry Hotline at (888) 674-6854.  Food safety specialists (both English and Spanish speaking) are available on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET.

The following chart is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service: