How to Keep Food Safe If You Lose Power

Mississippians know how unpredictable the weather can be. One day it’s sunny, and the next there is severe weather in the forecast. We’ve seen the aftermath of damaging tornados and hurricanes many, many times. Storms like these will inevitably happen again; and with those storms always comes the possibility for power outages. 

Do you know how to preserve your food if the power goes out? These tips can help you before, during and after a power outage when it comes to food safety: 

How to prepare (if you can):

• Buy an appliance thermometer so you know the exact temperatures of your refrigerator and freezer. Freezers should be at zero degrees Fahrenheit or below, and refrigerators should remain at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
• Move refrigerated items like meats, milk, and leftovers into the freezer to help them last longer. 
• Arrange items in your freezer as close together as possible to make items stay colder longer. If you have space, freeze containers with water in it. This helps keep food cold and provides you with fresh water in case your water source becomes contaminated.
• Fill coolers with ice or dry ice packs. If the power goes out for longer than four hours, you can move refrigerated items into the cooler. 

If the power goes out:

• Keep the fridge and freezer doors closed as much as possible! If the door is kept closed, a full freezer has the potential to hold the temperature for 48 hours. A half full freezer will hold the temperature for 24.
• If you plan on cooking refrigerated or frozen foods before they spoil, double check to make sure you cook foods to the proper temperatures. Check out the food temperature chart for the correct internal food temperatures on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.  

When power is back on:

• When the power is back on, check the appliance thermometers to ensure the temperature stayed at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below in both the fridge and freezer. 
• How do you determine if food is safe to eat if you don’t have a thermometer? Don’t rely on appearance or odor! If frozen foods still have ice crystals on it, it’s safe to eat or refreeze. Most foods kept in the fridge should be safe up to four hours. You’ll need to toss items like fish, chicken, meat, milk, eggs, creamy salad dressings, yogurt, and leftovers if they’ve been in the refrigerator for over two hours and the refrigerator is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have any question if an item is good or not, just throw it away! Do not taste food to determine its safety!

Another thing you should think about is preparing a disaster go box for important paperwork and emergency necessities. You never know when a disaster will strike, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Check out this information sheet on items you should put in a disaster go box so they’re all in one place and easy to grab and go!

We recommend following the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency on social media channels to stay up to date on emergency information around Mississippi.