Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency

ABCD’s of Keeping Food Safe in an Emergency

Always keep meat, poultry, fish, and eggs refrigerated at or below 41 °F and frozen food at or below 0 °F. This may be difficult when the power is out.

First and foremost, note the time that the power goes out. Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. Make sure to monitor the temperature of your units every 4 hours with a thermometer. According to the USDA, the refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. Obtain dry or block ice to keep your refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic foot full freezer for 2 days. Plan ahead and know where dry ice and block ice can be purchased.

If the food in the refrigerator or freezer has been above 41°F for more than 4 hours, discard all potentially hazardous foods (foods that require refrigeration). When in doubt, throw it out! (For a list of food items that may need discarded, check out the USDA website link below at the end of this article).

Be prepared for an emergency by having items on hand that don’t require refrigeration and can be eaten cold or heated on the outdoor grill. Shelf-stable food, boxed or canned milk, water, and canned goods should be part of a planned emergency food supply. Make sure you have ready-to-use baby formula for infants and pet food. Remember to use these items and replace them from time to time. Be sure to keep a hand-held can opener for an emergency.

Consider what you can do ahead of time to store your food safely in an emergency. If you live in a location that could be affected by a flood, plan your food storage on shelves that will be safely out of the way of contaminated water. Coolers are a great help for keeping food cold if the power will be out for more than 4 hours—have a couple on hand along with frozen gel packs or ice. If you live in a rural area where power tends to stay out for longer periods of time, invest in a generator. When your freezer is not full, keep items close together and/or freeze gallon water jugs—this helps the food stay cold longer.

Digital, dial, or instant-read food thermometers and appliance thermometers will help you know if the food is at safe temperatures. Keep appliance thermometers in the refrigerator and freezer at all times. When the power is out, an appliance thermometer will always indicate the temperature in the refrigerator and freezer no matter how long the power has been out. The refrigerator temperature should be 41 °F or below; the freezer, 0 °F or lower. If you’re not sure a particular food is cold enough, take its temperature with a food thermometer.

Be Prepared and Be Ready~ For more information, visit the USDA.gov website, link address: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/shared/PDF/Severe_Storms_and_Hurricanes_Guide.pdf or the CC Health Department at www.cchd.maryland.gov

Cheryl Chaney

Program Manager, Community Hygiene, CCHD