How long does food last after outage?
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If you lost electricity for more than four hours, there are foods in your refrigerator that may have spoiled and should be thrown away. Food safety experts with the LSU AgCenter say that uncooked poultry and raw meat are extremely perishable, and if they were held in the refrigerator for more than four hours, it is likely those items have spoiled.
LSU AgCenter food and nutrition expert Beth Reames emphasized that “A refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about four hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours — or for 24 hours if it is half full — as long as the door remains closed.”
Foods that need to be discarded if they are kept for more than two hours at above 40 degrees (the usual temperature maintained in a refrigerator) include: raw or cooked meat, poultry and seafood; milk, cream, yogurt and soft cheese; cooked pasta, pasta salads; custard, chiffon or cheese pies; fresh eggs and egg substitutes; meat-topped pizza; lunchmeats; casseroles; stews or soups; mayonnaise and tartar sauce; refrigerator biscuit or cookie dough; and cream-filled pastries.
There are a few foods, Reames pointed out, that can be kept at room temperature for a couple of days. These foods are butter and margarine; fresh fruits and vegetables; dried fruits and coconut; open jars of peanut butter, jelly, relish, taco sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, ketchup and olives; hard and processed cheeses; fresh herbs and spices; and fruit pies.
Discard anything that turns moldy or has an unusual odor or look.
If food has been stored in a full freezer, you have about two days before it starts to thaw. If the partially thawed foods still contain ice crystals or feel cold when the electricity comes back on, the foods can be refrozen. The texture or flavor quality may suffer; therefore, it is best to mark those packages to be cooked and eaten as soon as possible.
If the frozen food thawed and is still cool or has not been at room temperature for more than two hours, cook as soon as possible. Serve the cooked food or freeze it if you have access to a functioning freezer.
Pecans and other nuts may be refrozen safely but may suffer quality loss.
Above all, Reames said don’t taste “iffy” food to determine if it is safe. You cannot depend on taste or odor to determine if food is safe to eat.
LSU AgCenter food and nutrition expert Beth Reames emphasized that “A refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about four hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours — or for 24 hours if it is half full — as long as the door remains closed.”
Foods that need to be discarded if they are kept for more than two hours at above 40 degrees (the usual temperature maintained in a refrigerator) include: raw or cooked meat, poultry and seafood; milk, cream, yogurt and soft cheese; cooked pasta, pasta salads; custard, chiffon or cheese pies; fresh eggs and egg substitutes; meat-topped pizza; lunchmeats; casseroles; stews or soups; mayonnaise and tartar sauce; refrigerator biscuit or cookie dough; and cream-filled pastries.
There are a few foods, Reames pointed out, that can be kept at room temperature for a couple of days. These foods are butter and margarine; fresh fruits and vegetables; dried fruits and coconut; open jars of peanut butter, jelly, relish, taco sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, ketchup and olives; hard and processed cheeses; fresh herbs and spices; and fruit pies.
Discard anything that turns moldy or has an unusual odor or look.
If food has been stored in a full freezer, you have about two days before it starts to thaw. If the partially thawed foods still contain ice crystals or feel cold when the electricity comes back on, the foods can be refrozen. The texture or flavor quality may suffer; therefore, it is best to mark those packages to be cooked and eaten as soon as possible.
If the frozen food thawed and is still cool or has not been at room temperature for more than two hours, cook as soon as possible. Serve the cooked food or freeze it if you have access to a functioning freezer.
Pecans and other nuts may be refrozen safely but may suffer quality loss.
Above all, Reames said don’t taste “iffy” food to determine if it is safe. You cannot depend on taste or odor to determine if food is safe to eat.
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