Before the Power Goes Out:
- Use appliance thermometers to make sure your refrigerator and freezer are always at a temperature of 40 ºF or below for the refrigerator, and 0 ºF or below for the freezer. This will help keep food safe longer during a power outage.
- Keep ice, freezer packs, and frozen bottles of water in the freezer to keep food cold if there is a power outage.
- Keep a cooler available to fill with ice and cold foods in case of a prolonged power outage.
- Group foods together in the freezer; they will help keep each other cold.
- Freeze any perishable foods such as milk, meats, and leftovers so that they will have a better chance of staying cold and safe during power outage.
- Consider buying dry or block ice to keep the refrigerator as cold as possible during periods of prolonged power outage. Fifty pounds of dry ice should keep a fully-stocked 18-cubic-feet freezer cold for two days.
- Keep appliance doors CLOSED as much as possible. Opening and closing doors will release cold air and cause the safe storage time of perishable items to reduce.
- A fully stocked refrigerator will stay cold for about 4 hours. A freezer will keep its temperature for 24 hours if half full or 48 hours if full.
- If the power has been out for 4 hours, and a cooler and ice are available, transfer perishable foods in the refrigerator to the cooler to maintain a temperature of 40 ºF or below. Be sure to add ice or a cold source.
- Check the temperature of the refrigerator and freezer. If foods in both are still under 40 ºF, they are safe to keep and/or refreeze. If the foods are above 40 ºF, they should be discarded.
- Also check foods that were in a cooler before putting them back into the refrigerator. Discard any that are over 40 ºF.
- Unsure if a food is still safe? Review these food evaluation charts that are available for refrigerated foods and the frozen foods after a power outage.
- Discard any food that has an unusual odor, color, or texture, or feels warm to the touch.
- Never taste a food to determine its safety.
For food storage information including safe storage temperatures and times, download USDA’s FoodKeeper App, available on iTunes and Google Play stores.
For more information about food safety in an emergency, visit:
A Consumer’s Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes (a manual covering all power outage related food safety topics)
- Food Safety During a Power Outage (60 section video)
- In an Emergency (gateway to all federal food safety resources)
- FSIS’ infographic covering food safety before, during and after a power outage.
Source: Mariposa County Sheriff's Office