After a Power Outage: When in Doubt, Throw it Out!

Once power is restored, Emmaus Patch residents will need to throw away everything in their refrigerators and freezers according to guidelines published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The refrigerator will keep food cool for four hours during a power outage if the door isn’t opened. A full freezer will last about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door stays closed.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration offers the follow food safety tips:

• Never taste a food to check if it is still good to eat.
• After four hours without power or at temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit (F), toss refrigerated perishable foods, such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers and deli items.
• Food is safe to refreeze if it still contains ice crystals or it is 40 degrees F or colder.
• If the power has been out for several days, check the temperature on the freezer´s thermometer or use a food thermometer to determine if the food is at 40 degrees F or below (safe). Or, if you haven´t been keeping a thermometer in the freezer, check each package of food for ice crystals to determine its safety.
• If uncooked meat juices have dripped onto other foods, discard those foods.