How long will your food last in the fridge and freezer during a power outage?

After the storm Friday night, many homes in and around the Triangle area were left without power. This also means that the food in the fridge and freezer was at risk of spoiling. Read on for the details regarding how long you have after a power outage starts before food is no longer safe to eat.

Posted 10:20 a.m. Jun 19, 2022 — Updated 5:41 p.m. Jun 19, 2022

Faye Prosser

, WRAL Smart Shopper

After the storm Friday night, many homes in and around the Triangle area were left without power. This also means that the food in the fridge and freezer was at risk of spoiling.

It's important to know how long you have after a power outage starts before food is no longer safe to eat.

According to FoodSafety.gov, "your refrigerator will keep food safe for up to 4 hours during a power outage. Keep the door closed as much as possible. Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers after 4 hours without power."

Fortunately, food in the freezer lasts longer than items in the refrigerator. "A full freezer will hold a safe temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full and the door remains closed). Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40°F or below, however, its quality may suffer," the FoodSafety article also indicates.

Keys to keeping food safe for a longer period of time during an outage:

* Keep frozen bottles of water in the freezer to fill it up. A full freezer will keep food at a safe temperature for twice as long as a half full freezer. As you can see in the photo below, used tea bottles were filled with water and frozen to help fill this freezer and keep it cool during outages.

Freezer with water bottles to keep food cold longer (photo F. Prosser)

* Do not open the doors to the refrigerator or freezer during the outage, if possible.

* During a lengthy outage, buy bags of ice to keep the refrigerator and freezer as cold as possible.

* Place appliance thermometers in your refrigerator and freezer so you can check the temperature once the power comes back on and determine if the food is still safe to consume.

After the power has come back on, "if the freezer thermometer reads 40° F or below, the food is safe and may be refrozen. Discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, seafood, milk, eggs, or leftovers) that has been at refrigerator temperatures above 40°F for 4 hours or more. Perishable foods with temperatures that are 45°F or below (measured with a food thermometer) should be safe, but should be cooked and consumed as soon as possible", according to the FDA.

See the FDA website for additional information on preparing for power outages and for determining food safety once power is restored.

See a list of specific foods, and when they need to be discarded after an outage, at FoodSafety.gov.

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