Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency

Tens of thousands of Franklin County residents are without power this week due to the major ice storm that hit Central Ohio on Tuesday and Wednesday. Loss of power means loss of refrigeration capabilities, so how do you know what food is safe to eat and what should be discarded? The United States Department of Agriculture has developed these guidelines for food safety in an emergency.

The ABC’s of Keeping Food Safe in an Emergency

Always keep meat, poultry, fish, and eggs refrigerated at or below 40 ⁰F and frozen food at or below 0 ⁰F. This may be difficult when the power is out.

Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 if it is half full) if the door remains closed. Obtain, if possible, dry or block ice to keep your refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18 cubic foot full freezer for 2 days.

Coolers are a great help for keeping food cold if the power will be out for more than 4 hours- have a couple on hand along with frozen gel packs. When your freezer is not full, keep items close together- this helps the food stay cold longer.

Digital, dial, or instant food thermometers and appliance thermometers will help you know if the food is at safe temperatures. Keep appliance thermometers in the refrigerator and freezer at all times. When the power is out, an appliance thermometer will always indicate the temperature in the refrigerator and freezer no matter how long the power has been out. The refrigerator temperature should be at 40 ⁰F or below; the freezer, 0 ⁰F or lower. If you are not sure a particular food is cold enough, take its temperature with a food thermometer.

Refrigerator Food Guide

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