Food Safety Tips
In partnership with Baptist Hospital East, we offer the following food safety tips for outage situations:
- Check with friends and family who might have electricity and ask to store your food in their refrigerator until your power is restored.
- Once your refrigerator reaches 45°F, you shouldn't use the food.
- Once the food in your freezer has thawed out, either cook it immediately or throw it out.
- Long-term, a cooler with ice isn't sufficient in maintaining a safe temperature.
- As always, when in doubt, throw it out.
Some insurance companies consider claims for food lost due to an extended power outage resulting from a storm. Contact your insurance agent to determine if your insurance policy covers such losses.
Other Food Safety Tips
Food Safety and Inspection Service - www.fsis.usda.gov
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
- The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about four 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.
REFRIGERATOR FOODS
When to Save and When to Throw It Out
| FOOD | Held above 40°F for over 2 hours |
| MEAT, POULTRY, SEAFOOD | |
| Fresh or leftover meat, poultry, fish, or seafood | Discard |
| Thawing meat or poultry | Discard |
| Meat, tuna, shrimp, chicken, or egg salad | Discard |
| Gravy, stuffing | Discard |
| Lunchmeats, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, dried beef | Discard |
| Canned meats, opened | Discard |
| Pizza - with any topping | Discard |
| Canned hams labeled "Keep Refrigerated" | Discard |
| CHEESE | |
| Soft Cheeses: blue/bleu, Roquefort, Brie, Camembert, cottage, cream, Edam, Monterey Jack, ricotta, mozzarella, Muenster, Neufchatel | Discard |
| Hard Cheeses: Cheddar, Colby, Swiss, Parmesan, provolone, Romano | Safe |
| Processed Cheeses | Safe |
| Shredded Cheeses | Discard |
| Low-fat Cheeses | Discard |
| Grated Parmesan, Romano, or combination (in can or jar) | Safe |
| DAIRY | |
| Milk, cream, sour cream, buttermilk, evaporated milk, yogurt | Discard |
| Butter, margarine | Safe |
| Baby formula, opened | Discard |
| EGGS | |
| Fresh eggs, hard-cooked in shell, egg dishes, egg products | Discard |
| Custards and puddings | Discard |
| Casseroles, Soups, Stews | Discard |
| FRUITS | |
| Fresh fruits, cut | Discard |
| Fruit juices, opened | Safe |
| Canned fruits, opened | Safe |
| Fresh fruits, coconut, raisins, dried fruits, candied fruits, dates | Safe |
| SAUCES, SPREADS, JAMS | |
| Opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce, horseradish | Discard if above 50°F for more than eight hours. |
| Peanut butter | Safe |
| Jelly; relish; taco, barbecue & soy sauce; mustard; catsup; olives | Safe |
| Worcestershire sauce | Discard |
| Fish sauces (oyster sauce) | Discard |
| Hoisin sauce | Discard |
| Opened vinegar-based dressings | Safe |
| Opened creamy-based dressings | Discard |
| Spaghetti sauce, opened jar | Discard |
| BREAD, CAKES, COOKIES, PASTA | |
| Bread, rolls, cakes, muffins, quick breads | Safe |
| Refrigerator biscuits, rolls, cookie dough | Discard |
| Cooked pasta, spaghetti | Discard |
| Pasta salads with mayonnaise or vinaigrette | Discard |
| Fresh pasta | Discard |
| Cheesecake | Discard |
| Breakfast foods - waffles, pancakes, bagels | Safe |
| PIES, PASTRY | |
| Pastries, cream filled | Discard |
| Pies - custard, cheese filled, or chiffon | Discard |
| Pies, fruit | Safe |
| VEGETABLES | |
| Fresh mushrooms, herbs, spices | Safe |
| Greens, pre-cut, pre-washed, packaged | Discard |
| Vegetables, raw | Safe |
| Vegetables, cooked | Discard |
| Vegetable juice, opened | Discard |
| Baked potatoes | Discard |
| Commercial garlic in oil | Discard |
| Potato Salad | Discard |
FROZEN FOOD
When to Save and When to Toss
| FOOD | Still contains ice crystals and feels as cold as if refrigerated | Thawed. Held above 40°F for more than two hours |
| MEAT, POULTRY, SEAFOOD | ||
| Beef, veal, lamb, pork, and ground meats | Refreeze | Discard |
| Poultry and ground poultry | Refreeze | Discard |
| Variety meats (liver, kidney, heart, chitterlings) | Refreeze | Discard |
| Casseroles, stews, soups | Refreeze | Discard |
| Fish, shellfish, breaded seafood products | Refreeze. However, there will be some texture and flavor loss. | Discard |
| DAIRY | ||
| Milk | Refreeze. May lose some texture. | Discard |
| Eggs (out of shell) and egg products | Refreeze | Discard |
| Ice cream, frozen yogurt | Discard | Discard |
| Cheese (soft and semi-soft) | Refreeze. May lose some texture. | Discard |
| Hard cheeses | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Shredded cheeses | Refreeze | Discard |
| Casseroles containing milk, cream, eggs, soft cheeses | Refreeze | Discard |
| Cheesecake | Refreeze | Discard |
| FRUITS | ||
| Juices | Refreeze | Refreeze. Discard if mold, yeasty smell, or sliminess develops. |
| Home or commercially packaged | Refreeze. Will change texture and flavor. | Refreeze. Discard if mold, yeasty smell, or sliminess develops. |
| VEGETABLES | ||
| Juices | Refreeze | Discard after held above 40°F for six hours. |
| Home or commercially packaged or blanched | Refreeze. May suffer texture and flavor loss. | Discard after held above 40°F for six hours. |
| BREADS, PASTRIES | ||
| Breads, rolls, muffins, cakes (without custard fillings) | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Cakes, pies, pastries with custard or cheese filling | Refreeze | Discard |
| Pie crusts, commercial and homemade bread dough | Refreeze. Some quality loss may occur. | Refreeze. Quality loss is considerable. |
| OTHER | ||
| Casseroles - pasta, rice based | Refreeze | Discard |
| Flour, cornmeal, nuts | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Breakfast items - waffles, pancakes, bagels | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Frozen meal, entree, specialty items (pizza, sausage and biscuit, meat pie, convenience foods) | Refreeze | Discard |