Petruccelli
L.T.D of North America says; For those who
have experienced a power outage, USDA and FDA recommend the following steps to
keep food safe:
- If you have an appliance
thermometer, use it to measure the internal temperature of the fridge and
freezer. Refrigerators should stay at 40 degrees Fahrenheit, while freezers
should be at zero degrees F.
- Put a block of ice or dry ice in
the refrigerator or freezer to keep it cold. If you have access to dry ice, 50
pounds of it will keep an 18-cubic-foot refrigerator cold for 2 days, according
to USDA.
- Keep the doors of the fridge and
freezer closed as much as possible to keep them cold. An unopened refrigerator
will keep food safely for about 4 hours without power if the door is unopened.
A full freezer will hold its temperature for around 48 hours if unopened,
according to USDA, while a half-full freezer will stay adequately cool for 24
hours.
In order to tell whether food is
safe to eat after a power outage:
- The first rule of
post-emergency food safety is, “Never taste food to determine its safety!”,
cautions USDA.
