Food Safety for Emergency Situations – Power Outages, Fires and Floods

POWER OUTAGES

Ahead of Time

Make sure the refrigerator temperature is at 40 °F or below and the freezer is at 0 °F or below. Keep a thermometer in both the refrigerator and freezer.
To help foods stay colder longer, group them together in both the refrigerator and freezer.
Fill empty spaces in a freezer with frozen plastic jugs of water, bags of ice, or gel packs. Keep it full.
Freeze all refrigerated items that you may not need immediately. This includes leftovers, milk, and fresh meat and poultry. This will lengthen their time at safe temperature.
Refrigerated perishable foods will be safe in a refrigerator for only 4 hours. Prepare a large, insulated cooler and frozen gel packs for potential use.
Find out where dry ice and block ice can be purchased.

During a Power Outage

Do not open refrigerator and freezer doors unless absolutely necessary.
The refrigerator will keep food safe for up to 4 hours. For longer outages, you can transfer food to a cooler and fill with ice or frozen gel packs. Make sure to keep food in the cooler at 40 °F or below. Add more ice as needed to maintain the 40°F temperature.
A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full).
Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic-foot freezer for 2 days. (Caution: Do not touch dry ice with bare hands or place it in direct contact with food.)
Small items in a freezer and food in the front section will defrost faster than large, thick items or food in the back or bottom of the unit.
Do not place perishable food out in the snow. Temperatures can vary and food can be exposed to unsanitary conditions and animals. Make ice for use in your refrigerator, freezer or coolers. Fill buckets, empty milk containers, or cans with water and leave them outside to freeze.

After Power is Restored

Never taste food to determine its safety.

When In Doubt, Throw It Out!

REFRIGERATED FOODS

Unsafe Foods

Discard the following if your refrigerator has been without power for more than 4 hours:

Any meat, poultry, fish, eggs and egg substitutes (this includes raw or cooked);
Milk products including: milk, cream, cheeses, sour cream, yogurt;
soups, stews, casseroles and pizza;
chicken, tuna, macaroni, potato salads, etc;
gravy and stuffing;
fresh fruits and vegetables that have been cut;
cooked vegetables;
opened fruit and vegetable juices;
creamy salad dressing;
batters and doughs;
custard, chiffon, or cheese pies;
pastries that are cream-filled; and
garlic or herbs stored in oil.
Discard opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce, and horseradish if they were held above 50 °F for over 8 hours.
Discard any foods that may have become contaminated by juices dripping from raw meat, poultry, or fish.
If any food has an unusual odor, color, or texture, throw it out.

Safe-to-Eat Foods

High-acid foods such as mustard, ketchup, relishes, pickles, non-creamy salad dressings, jams, and jellies.
Foods that don’t actually require refrigeration unless they are moldy or have an unusual odor;
fresh uncut fruits and vegetables;
unopened fruit and vegetable juices;
dried fruits and nuts;
baked goods that do not have cream cheese frosting or cream fillings such as fruit pies, bread, rolls, muffins, and cakes;
hard and processed cheeses;
butter and margarine;
fresh herbs and spices; and
flour

FROZEN FOODS

Safe-to-Eat Foods

Foods that don’t actually need to be frozen unless they are moldy or have an unusual odor:

dried fruits and nuts;
baked goods that do not have cream cheese frosting or cream fillings such as fruit pies, bread, rolls, muffins, and cakes;
hard and processed cheeses;
butter and margarine;
fruit juices;
Frozen foods that have thawed, and contain ice crystals.
Foods that have remained at refrigerator temperatures, 40 °F or below, may be safely refrozen. Note that their quality may suffer.

Never taste food to determine its safety.

When in Doubt Throw it Out!

FLOODING & FOOD SAFETY

Ahead of Time

Raise refrigerators and freezers off the floor by putting cement blocks under their corners.
Move all non-refrigerated/frozen foods to a higher area.

After a Flood

Do not eat any food or drink any bottled water that may have come in contact with flood water.
Food containers that are not waterproof include those with screw-caps, snap lids, pull tops, and crimped caps. Discard foods stored this way that have come into contact with flood waters.
Discard cardboard juice/milk/baby formula boxes and home canned foods if they have come in contact with flood waters.
Discard any damaged canned foods. Including cans with swelling, leakage, punctures, holes, fractures, extensive deep rusting, or crushing/denting that is severe enough to prevent normal stacking or opening with a manual can opener.
Wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples, and pacifiers cannot be safely cleaned if they have come in contact with flood waters. Discard them.
Thoroughly wash all dishes, pans, utensils, equipment, etc with soap and hot water (if available). Rinse and sanitize them by boiling in clean water or immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water.
Thoroughly wash countertops with soap and hot water (if available). Rinse and then sanitize them by applying a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water and air-dry.
Your refrigerator or freezer is unsafe to use and must be discarded if it was submerged, even partially, in floodwaters.

Salvaging Canned Foods & Retort Pouches

Undamaged, commercially prepared food can be saved if you do the following:

Labels can harbor dirt and bacteria. Remove labels that can be removed.
Thoroughly wash with soap and hot water (if available).
Brush or wipe away any dirt or potential contaminants.
Rinse with water that is safe for drinking.
Sanitize by immersion in one of the following ways:
- Place in water. Allow the water to come to a boil for 2 minutes.
  Or
- Place in a freshly made solution consisting of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water (or the cleanest, clearest water available) for 15 minutes.
Allow to air-dry, for a minimum of 1 hour, before opening or storing.
Use a marker to relabel the cans or pouches. Include the expiration date any indicate any food allergens if possible.
Use this food as soon as possible.
Any concentrated baby formula in reconditioned, all-metal containers must be diluted with clean, drinking water.

When in Doubt Throw it Out!

FIRES & FOOD SAFETY

Discard all food that has been near a fire. Food exposed to fire can be damaged by the heat of the fire, smoke fumes, and fire-fighting chemicals. These fumes and chemicals cannot be washed off. This includes foods in refrigerators or freezers. They are not airtight and fumes can get inside.
Sanitize cookwear exposed to fire-fighting chemicals by washing in soap and hot water. Then submerge for 15 minutes in a solution for 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water.

When in Doubt Throw it Out!