With all the content available online these days, it can be hard to figure out what’s real and what’s hype.
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what → figure → content
While we don’t always have the answers, we have a direct line to people who do — which is why we present to you our series The Internet Made Me Ask, where we have experts break down the truth about some of the buzziest trends on our timelines, like how often you should watch your jeans.
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you → have → jeans
When the power goes out, the clock starts ticking on everything in your fridge and freezer.
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clock → go → fridge
A fall storm, a downed line, a grid emergency — however the outage happens, you’re often left guessing: Is this still good?
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this → happen → ?
Do I need to toss it?
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I → need → it
And no, a simple sniff test does not tell you what you need to know.
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you → tell → what
I spoke with two food safety experts about how long your food actually stays safe once the power fails, the signs it’s time to throw something out, and the simple steps that can help save your perishables the next time your power goes down.
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power → speak → perishables
How long does food stay safe in the fridge and freezer after a power outage?
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food → stay → outage
First, to state the obvious, you don’t have to worry about non-perishable food in your pantry.
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you → state → pantry
When the power goes out, you really only need to think about perishable stuff in your fridge and freezer.
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you → go → fridge
The good news: “A refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if it is unopened,” says Dr. Vanessa Coffman, alliance director for Stop Foodborne Illness.
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Coffman → keep → Illness
“A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours, or 24 hours if it is half full, but only if the door remains closed.”
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door → keep → hours
In other words, a well-stocked freezer buys you significantly more time than a fridge — but only if you can hold off on opening it.
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you → stock → it
Both experts I spoke with agreed that this tactic of keeping your fridge and freezer shut is key.
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tactic → speak → fridge
“The most important thing you can do is keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible,” says Melissa Vaccaro, senior food safety program specialist at the National Environmental Health Association.
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Vaccaro → do → Association
“Every time you open the door, cold air escapes and the temperature inside rises more quickly.”
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temperature → open → door
That means you should resist the urge to peek inside and check on things — each open door lets precious cold air out and speeds up the clock on your food’s expiration.
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door → mean → expiration
How can you tell if food should be thrown out after a power outage?
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food → tell → outage
It’s tempting to trust your senses — for example, sniffing for a bad odor or examining food to see if it “looks bad” — but experts say that’s the wrong approach.
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that → ’ → food
“One of the most important things for consumers to understand is that you cannot reliably determine whether food is safe by looking at it, smelling it, or tasting it,” Vaccaro says.
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Vaccaro → understand → it
“Food can contain disease-causing microorganisms without looking or smelling spoiled.
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Food → contain → microorganisms
And never taste questionable food to decide whether it is safe.”
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it → taste → food
Food that looks, smells, and even tastes normal can still make you sick, so don’t let your gut be the judge.
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gut → look → ?
Think about it, do you really want to be dealing with food poisoning during a power outage?
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you → think → outage
Instead, the only tried-and-true test is time.
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test → try → ?
“Again, an unopened refrigerator will generally keep food cold for about four hours,” Coffman says.
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Coffman → keep → hours
But once your fridge climbs back up to room temperature, the countdown gets much shorter.
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countdown → climb → temperature
“Perishable foods such as milk, cheese, meat, poultry, seafood, and leftovers should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours,” Coffman says.
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Coffman → leave → hours
“If they have been at room temperature for longer than two hours, they should be discarded.”
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they → discard → hours
When the power comes back on, your freezer requires its own check.
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freezer → come → check
After power is restored, check the temperatures in the refrigerator and freezer,” Vaccaro says.
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Vaccaro → restore → refrigerator
“If an appliance thermometer in the freezer reads 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, the food may be refrozen.
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food → read → Fahrenheit
If no thermometer was present, check individual frozen packages.
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thermometer → check → packages
Food that still contains ice crystals or is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below can generally be refrozen or cooked.
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that → contain → crystals
No thermometer, no ice crystals, and a temperature above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, though, means it’s better to toss it than risk it.
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it → mean → it
Keeping appliance thermometers in your fridge and freezer can be a helpful way to monitor whether food is safe or not (more on that below).
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food → keep → that
Which products help you keep your food fresh during a power outage?
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you → help → outage
Based on what food safety experts recommend having on hand, I rounded up products designed to help keep your fridge and freezer contents cold during an outage — from appliance thermometers to coolers and ice packs.
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I → base → coolers
Every item below has a 4-star average rating or higher from 1,000 or more shoppers.
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item → have → shoppers
Both experts recommend keeping an appliance thermometer in your fridge and freezer at all times, so you can accurately monitor temperatures if the power goes out.
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power → recommend → temperatures
…and 30 more, not listed.
The Aporia
