Hurricanes and other natural disasters are frequently accompanied by a power outage. Oftentimes, the lack of power is as great a danger as the storm itself.
If the power is out for less than four hours, the food in your refrigerator is most likely fine, provided the door was left shut. After four hours, things begin to get more dangerous as the temperatures rise and bacteria begins to grow.
The USDA and foodsafety.gov have put together a handy chart on food safety that you can use to determine what to keep, and what to pitch after a power outage.
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Food Categories |
Specific Foods |
Held above 40 °F for over 2 hours |
|
MEAT, POULTRY, SEAFOOD |
Raw or leftover cooked meat, poultry, fish, or seafood; soy meat substitutes |
Discard |
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Thawing meat or poultry |
Discard |
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Salads: Meat, tuna, shrimp, chicken, or egg salad |
Discard |
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Gravy, stuffing, broth |
Discard |
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Lunchmeats, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, dried beef |
Discard |
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Pizza – with any topping |
Discard |
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Canned hams labeled “Keep Refrigerated” |
Discard |
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Canned meats and fish, opened |
Discard |
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Casseroles, soups, stews |
Discard |
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CHEESE |
Soft Cheeses: blue/bleu, Roquefort, Brie, Camembert, cottage, cream, Edam, Monterey Jack, ricotta, mozzarella, Muenster, Neufchatel, queso blanco, queso fresco |
Discard |
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Hard Cheeses: Cheddar, Colby, Swiss, Parmesan, provolone, Romano |
Safe |
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Processed Cheeses |
Safe |
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Shredded Cheeses |
Discard |
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Low-fat Cheeses |
Discard |
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Grated Parmesan, Romano, or combination (in can or jar) |
Safe |
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DAIRY |
Milk, cream, sour cream, buttermilk, evaporated milk, yogurt, eggnog, soy milk |
Discard |
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Butter, margarine |
Safe |
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Baby formula, opened |
Discard |
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EGGS |
Fresh eggs, hard-cooked in shell, egg dishes, egg products |
Discard |
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Custards and puddings, quiche |
Discard |
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FRUITS |
Fresh fruits, cut |
Discard |
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Fruit juices, opened |
Safe |
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Canned fruits, opened |
Safe |
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Fresh fruits, coconut, raisins, dried fruits, candied fruits, dates |
Safe |
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SAUCES, SPREADS, JAMS |
Opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce, horseradish |
Discard if above 50 °F for over 8 hrs. |
|
Peanut butter |
Safe |
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Jelly, relish, taco sauce, mustard, catsup, olives, pickles |
Safe |
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Worcestershire, soy, barbecue, hoisin sauces |
Safe |
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Fish sauces, oyster sauce |
Discard |
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Opened vinegar-based dressings |
Safe |
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Opened creamy-based dressings |
Discard |
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Spaghetti sauce, opened jar |
Discard |
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BREAD, CAKES, COOKIES, PASTA, GRAINS |
Bread, rolls, cakes, muffins, quick breads, tortillas |
Safe |
|
Refrigerator biscuits, rolls, cookie dough |
Discard |
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Cooked pasta, rice, potatoes |
Discard |
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Pasta salads with mayonnaise or vinaigrette |
Discard |
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Fresh pasta |
Discard |
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Cheesecake |
Discard |
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Breakfast foods –waffles, pancakes, bagels |
Safe |
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PIES, PASTRY |
Pastries, cream filled |
Discard |
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Pies – custard, cheese filled, or chiffon; quiche |
Discard |
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Pies, fruit |
Safe |
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VEGETABLES |
Fresh mushrooms, herbs, spices |
Safe |
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Greens, pre-cut, pre-washed, packaged |
Discard |
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Vegetables, raw |
Safe |
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Vegetables, cooked; tofu |
Discard |
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Vegetable juice, opened |
Discard |
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Baked potatoes |
Discard |
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Commercial garlic in oil |
Discard |
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Potato salad |
Discard |
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Casseroles, soups, stews |
Discard |
If in doubt, throw it away after documenting what you are discarding. You may have coverage for refrigerated foods on your homeowners policy.
