Do you ever wonder how long your food will last when the power goes out?
FoodSafety.org states that fridge food will stay cold for about 4 hours if the door is kept closed. Full freezer will keep temps for about 48 hours and 24 hours if only half full. Always make sure you have a few ready-to-eat foods on hand so you don’t have to worry about the most immediate meals while you make a plan.
NEVER use a taste test to determine safety!
The following is a list from the USDA.
Refrigerator Foods
| When to Save and When to Throw It Out | |
|---|---|
| FOOD | Held above 40 °F for over 2 hours |
| MEAT, POULTRY, SEAFOOD Raw or leftover cooked meat, poultry, fish, or seafood; soy meat substitutes |
Discard |
| Thawing meat or poultry | Discard |
| Meat, tuna, shrimp,chicken, or egg salad | Discard |
| Gravy, stuffing, broth | Discard |
| Lunchmeats, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, dried beef | Discard |
| Pizza, with any topping | Discard |
| Canned hams labeled ‘Keep Refrigerated’ | Discard |
| Canned meats and fish, opened | Discard |
| CHEESE Soft Cheeses: blue/bleu, Roquefort, Brie, Camembert, cottage, cream, Edam, Monterey Jack, ricotta, mozzarella, Muenster, Neufchatel, queso blanco, queso fresco |
Discard |
| Hard Cheeses: Cheddar, Colby, Swiss, Parmesan, provolone, Romano | Safe |
| Processed Cheeses | Safe |
| Shredded Cheeses | Discard |
| Low-fat Cheeses | Discard |
| Grated Parmesan, Romano, or combination (in can or jar) | Safe |
| DAIRY Milk, cream, sour cream, buttermilk, evaporated milk, yogurt, eggnog, soy milk |
Discard |
| Butter, margarine | Safe |
| Baby formula, opened | Discard |
| EGGS Fresh eggs, hard-cooked in shell, egg dishes, egg products |
Discard |
| Custards and puddings | Discard |
| CASSEROLES, SOUPS, STEWS | Discard |
| FRUITS Fresh fruits, cut |
Discard |
| Fruit juices, opened | Safe |
| Canned fruits, opened | Safe |
| Fresh fruits, coconut, raisins, dried fruits, candied fruits, dates | Safe |
| SAUCES, SPREADS, JAMS Opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce, horseradish |
Discard if above 50 °F for over 8 hrs. |
| Peanut butter | Safe |
| Jelly, relish, taco sauce, mustard, catsup, olives, pickles | Safe |
| Worcestershire, soy, barbecue, Hoisin sauces | Safe |
| Fish sauces (oyster sauce) | Discard |
| Opened vinegar-based dressings | Safe |
| Opened creamy-based dressings | Discard |
| Spaghetti sauce, opened jar | Discard |
| BREAD, CAKES, COOKIES,PASTA, GRAINS Bread, rolls, cakes, muffins, quick breads, tortillas |
Safe |
| Refrigerator biscuits,rolls, cookie dough | Discard |
| Cooked pasta, rice, potatoes | Discard |
| Pasta salads with mayonnaise or vinaigrette | Discard |
| Fresh pasta | Discard |
| Cheesecake | Discard |
| Breakfast foods—waffles, pancakes, bagels | Safe |
| PIES, PASTRY Pastries, cream filled |
Discard |
| Pies—custard,cheese filled, or chiffon; quiche | Discard |
| Pies, fruit | Safe |
| VEGETABLES Fresh mushrooms, herbs, spices |
Safe |
| Greens, pre-cut, pre-washed, packaged | Discard |
| Vegetables, raw | Safe |
| Vegetables, cooked; tofu | Discard |
| Vegetable juice, opened | Discard |
| Baked potatoes | Discard |
| Commercial garlic in oil | Discard |
| Potato Salad | Discard |
| Frozen Food |
| When to Save and When To Throw It Out | ||
|---|---|---|
| FOOD | Still contains ice crystals and feels as cold as if refrigerated | Thawed. Held above 40 °F for over 2 hours |
| MEAT, POULTRY, SEAFOOD Beef, veal, lamb, pork, and ground meats |
Refreeze |
Discard |
| Poultry and ground poultry | Refreeze | Discard |
| Variety meats (liver, kidney, heart, chitterlings) | Refreeze | Discard |
| Casseroles, stews, soups | Refreeze | Discard |
| Fish, shellfish, breaded seafood products | Refreeze. However, there will be some texture and flavor loss. | Discard |
| DAIRY Milk |
Refreeze. May lose some texture. |
Discard |
| Eggs (out of shell) and egg products | Refreeze | Discard |
| Ice cream, frozen yogurt | Discard | Discard |
| Cheese (soft and semi-soft) | Refreeze. May lose some texture. | Discard |
| Hard cheeses | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Shredded cheeses | Refreeze | Discard |
| Casseroles containing milk, cream, eggs, soft cheeses | Refreeze | Discard |
| Cheesecake | Refreeze | Discard |
| FRUITS Juices |
Refreeze |
Refreeze. Discard if mold, yeasty smell, or sliminess develops. |
| Home or commercially packaged | Refreeze. Will change texture and flavor. | Refreeze. Discard if mold, yeasty smell, or sliminess develops. |
| VEGETABLES Juices |
Refreeze |
Discard after held above 40 °F for 6 hours. |
| Home or commercially packaged or blanched | Refreeze. May suffer texture and flavor loss. | Discard after held above 40 °F for 6 hours. |
| BREADS, PASTRIES Breads, rolls, muffins, cakes (without custard fillings) |
Refreeze |
Refreeze |
| Cakes, pies, pastries with custard or cheese filling | Refreeze | Discard |
| Pie crusts, commercial and homemade bread dough | Refreeze. Some quality loss may occur. | Refreeze. Quality loss is considerable. |
| OTHER Casseroles—pasta, rice based |
Refreeze | Discard |
| Flour, cornmeal, nuts | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Breakfast items—waffles, pancakes, bagels | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Frozen meal, entree, specialty items (pizza, sausage and biscuit, meat pie,convenience foods) | Refreeze | Discard |
