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Based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture recommends the following steps to keep food safe:
Before an outage occurs:
- Freeze containers of water and gel packs to help keep food at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
- Have a cooler and frozen gel packs ready in case you must remove food from the refrigerator to keep it cold.
- Keep appliance thermometers in your refrigerator and freezer. The refrigerator should be at 40 degrees F or below, and the freezer should be at 0 degrees F or below.
During a power outage:
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. “If the doors stay closed, food will stay safe up to four hours in a refrigerator, 48 hours in a full freezer and 24 hours in a half-full freezer,” said Henson.
- If the power has been out for four hours, and a cooler and ice are available, put refrigerated perishable foods in the cooler. To keep them at 40 degrees F or below, add ice or a cold source.
After a power outage:
- “Never taste food to know if it is safe to eat,” Whitson said. “When in doubt, throw it out.”
- Toss perishable foods in your refrigerator, such as meat, fish, cut fruit and vegetables, eggs, milk and leftovers, after four hours without power or without a cold source like ice. Throw out any food with an unusual smell, color or texture.
- If you have an appliance thermometer in your refrigerator, check to see if it is still at 40 degrees F or below.
- “Check temperatures of food kept in coolers or your refrigerator with an added cold source,” Henson said. “Throw out food that has thawed or is above 40 degrees F.”