Food Safety in an Emergency

What you should do

  • Before a power outage, turn refrigerators and freezers to the coldest setting.
  • During a power outage, avoid opening refrigerators and freezers.
  • If the power is out for more than four hours, throw away meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, deli items, and any leftovers.
  • If the temperature in the freezer goes above 41 degrees, throw away any food that is in the freezer.
  • Many times, you cannot see, smell, or taste bacteria in food that could make you sick. When in doubt, throw it out.