Is food in the refrigerator safe during a power outage? As long as the power is out no more than 4 hours, it should be safe. Make sure you keep the refrigerator door closed as much as possible.
Never taste food to determine its safety! You can’t rely on appearance or odor to determine whether food is safe.
Note: Always discard any items in the refrigerator that have come into contact with raw meat juices.
IMPORTANT LINKS
Hurricane Supply Kit Checklist | Things to know before the storm | Preparations for your pets | Power outage maps & resources | Know your evacuation zone | Price gouging: How to protect yourself and report it | Insurance protection: Video tape home inventory | Tampa Bay sandbag locations
Tracking Hurricane Irma: Updates and thoughts from Chief Meteorologist Denis Phillips
You will have to evaluate each item separately. Use this chart as a guide from FoodSafety.gov.
MEAT, POULTRY, SEAFOOD - Held above 40 °F for over 2 hours
DISCARD: Raw or leftover cooked meat, poultry, fish, or seafood; soy meat substitutes
DISCARD: Thawing meat or poultry
DISCARD: Salads: 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: Casseroles, soups, stews
CHEESE - Held above 40 °F for over 2 hours
DISCARD: Soft Cheeses: blue/bleu, Roquefort, Brie, Camembert, cottage, cream, Edam, Monterey Jack, ricotta, mozzarella, Muenster, Neufchatel, queso blanco, queso fresco
SAFE: Hard Cheeses: Cheddar, Colby, Swiss, Parmesan, provolone, Romano
SAFE: Processed Cheeses
DISCARD: Shredded Cheeses
DISCARD: Low-fat Cheeses
SAFE: Grated Parmesan, Romano, or combination (in can or jar)
DAIRY - Held above 40 °F for over 2 hours
DISCARD: Milk, cream, sour cream, buttermilk, evaporated milk, yogurt, eggnog, soy milk
SAFE: Butter, margarine
DISCARD: Baby formula, opened
EGGS - Held above 40 °F for over 2 hours
DISCARD: Fresh eggs, hard-cooked in shell, egg dishes, egg products
DISCARD: Custards and puddings, quiche
FRUITS - Held above 40 °F for over 2 hours
DISCARD: Fresh fruits, cut
SAFE: Fruit juices, opened
SAFE: Canned fruits, opened
SAFE: Fresh fruits, coconut, raisins, dried fruits, candied fruits, dates
SAUCES, SPREADS, JAMS - Held above 40 °F for over 2 hours
Discard if above 50 °F for over 8 hrs: Opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce, horseradish
SAFE: Peanut butter
SAFE: Jelly, relish, taco sauce, mustard, catsup, olives, pickles
SAFE: Worcestershire, soy, barbecue, hoisin sauces
DISCARD: Fish sauces, oyster sauce
SAFE: Opened vinegar-based dressings
DISCARD: Opened creamy-based dressings
DISCARD: Spaghetti sauce, opened jar
BREAD, CAKES, COOKIES, PASTA, GRAINS - Held above 40 °F for over 2 hours
SAFE: Bread, rolls, cakes, muffins, quick breads, tortillas
DISCARD: Refrigerator biscuits, rolls, cookie dough
DISCARD: Cooked pasta, rice, potatoes
DISCARD: Pasta salads with mayonnaise or vinaigrette
DISCARD: Fresh pasta
DISCARD: Cheesecake
SAFE: Breakfast foods –waffles, pancakes, bagels
PIES, PASTRY - Held above 40 °F for over 2 hours
DISCARD: Pastries, cream filled
DISCARD: Pies – custard, cheese filled, or chiffon; quiche
SAFE: Pies, fruit
VEGETABLES - Held above 40 °F for over 2 hours
SAFE: Fresh mushrooms, herbs, spices
DISCARD: Greens, pre-cut, pre-washed, packaged
SAFE: Vegetables, raw
DISCARD: Vegetables, cooked; tofu
DISCARD: Baked potatoes
DISCARD: Commercial garlic in oil
DISCARD: Potato salad
DISCARD: Vegetables, cooked; tofu
DISCARD: Casseroles, soups, stews
