Refrigerated Food and Power Outages

Refrigerated Food and Power Outages When to Save and When to Throw OutbrbrAdapted from Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency USDA.brbrIs food in the refrigerator safe during a power outage It should be safe as long as power is out no more than 4 hours. Keep the door closed as much as possible. Discard any perishable food such as meat poultry fish eggs and leftovers that have been above 40 F for over 2 hours.brbrNever taste food to determine its safety You cant rely on appearance or odor to determine whether food is safe.brbrNote Always discard any items in the refrigerator that have come into contact with raw meat juices.brbrYou will have to evaluate each item separately. Use this chart as a guide.