These are some items to throw away and some to retain for the next time there is a power outage. The Roze Team had long and challenging experiences whenever a refrigerator (and its freezer) was off for several days.
Power outages can be brought on by extreme weather, such as monsoons, floods, and heat waves. The electricity keeping your fridge running and your food chilled is in danger when the power goes out.
In your refrigerator or freezer, the quality of food won’t be impacted by a minor power outage that lasts a few minutes. What about power outages that extend for several hours or even days?
Usually speaking, food in a refrigerator can be kept fresh without power for four hours if the doors are kept closed. Moreover, food remains fresh for 48 hours in a fully-filled freezer and 24 hours in a freezer that is half-full.
Here is the information regarding how long your refrigerator will keep food cool after losing power, including the point at which bacterial growth poses a risk and necessitates the disposal of perishable food.
How Long Can a Fridge Be Powerless?
A refrigerator’s temperature will probably stay stable without power for up to four hours if the door is kept closed. When your freezer is half full or full, food inside of it keeps it cool for almost 48 hours or about two days. The freezer maintains its frigid temperature longer when there is more food within it than when there is less food.
Nonetheless, resist the need to check on your food frequently. The temperature rise is sped up by opening the refrigerator or freezer. As a result, your food spoils faster than it would if the doors were closed.
A Time to Throw Your Meal
You may check the food’s safety during a power outage using the appliance thermometers inside your refrigerator and freezer.
At least 40°F (40 degrees Fahrenheit) should be in your refrigerator. On the other hand, the freezer should be at or below 0°F. If your appliance doesn’t have a thermometer to check the temperature, you can use a food thermometer on every item to see if it is safe to eat.
Certain foods, such as meats and dairy products, may appear or smell unpleasant. But, it’s not always possible to establish food safety just by using your senses. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) offers simple guidance on when to throw away certain food groups if you’re not sure whether to discard your food.
For instance, throw out food right away if it has been over two hours since it reached 40°F.
Dinner meat
Soft cheese
Milk
Yogurt
Uncut fresh fruit, hard cheese, butter, margarine, and breakfast items like waffles and pancakes, on the other hand, are all OK to retain.
Always take extra precautions. So, it is best to rely on pantry products that are shelf-stable for your meals if you are concerned about food safety at any time, including during a power outage.
Consume perishable products first, assuming their temperatures ensure their safety, such as leftovers, meat, milk, soft cheese, or cream, to prevent food waste.
Foodborne Illness Prevention
Perishable foods shouldn’t be tasted to determine whether they are rotten. Any food kept in the refrigerator that is left out over 40°F for more than four hours is susceptible to bacterial growth. Foodborne disease is more likely when bacteria are present. Instead, checking the food’s temperature is the best way to determine whether it is safe to eat.
Foodborne disease symptoms, which commonly appear one to three days after consuming infected food, include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Body pains, especially in the area of the abdomen
- Fevers
- Headache
Foodborne disease patients typically recover quickly afterward. See a healthcare professional right away if you experience severe symptoms, such as dehydration.
Transfer Your Meals to Dry or Ice Blocks
Purchase dry or block ice for your refrigerator or freezer if it looks like your power will be out for several days. Any perishable products will keep their temperature due to the ice.
If a power outage has lasted longer than four hours, put chilled food on ice. Be sure that frozen food stays at 0°F or less and refrigerated food stays at 40°F or less. If you have a power outage, you can then reheat or prepare frozen food.
Even in the winter, avoid leaving food outside to keep it cool. Although the outside temperature may be too warm for frozen food, it may be chilly enough for refrigerated food. Hence, even in extremely cold weather, the sun may still heat your meal to a temperature where germs can grow.
Consider Freezing Your Meals in Advance
The negative effects on the health of being unable to acquire food are reduced by preparing for potential power outages. A 2018 study in the Journal of Urban Health found that only 56% of young individuals living in New York were ready in case of a power outage.
Together with preserving non-perishable items, you can take measures to lengthen the shelf life of your frozen and chilled meals. These actions could involve the following:
Cooling perishable goods in the refrigerator with gel packs that have been frozen to 40°F or lower
If the blackout lasts more than four hours, get a cooler and dry or block ice to store such goods.
Store meats together on one side of the freezer or on a tray, grouping frozen goods in a protected insulated cooler.
Keep frozen meat separate from other foods. As a result, their juices, which could contain bacteria, won’t mingle with other meals if they begin to thaw.
The Roze Review
Food stored in a refrigerator will remain safe for four hours if your power goes off. Food that has been frozen will remain edible for one day in a partially full freezer and for two days in a fully full freezer.
Make sure to avoid eating food out of the refrigerator or freezer that has not been cooled for longer than four hours or that is hotter than 40°F. The food is very likely dangerous to eat because it gathers bacteria during that period. The chance of getting sick from eating is increased by bacteria. We at the Roze Team used insulated coolers, ice, and even dry ice to preserve our food until the refrigerator and freezer were up and running again.