When to Throw Food Out
This information is intended as a guide only. Please use your own discretion when determining in if food is safe for you or your family to eat.
4 hours without Refrigeration
Throw out the following foods if the electrical power to your refrigerator has been off for more than 4 hours:
- Raw or cooked meat, poultry and seafood
- Milk, cream, yogurt, soft and semi-soft cheese
- Cooked pasta, rice, and potatoes
- Custard, pudding, chiffon, cheese pies
- Casseroles, soups, stews
- Refrigerated cookie dough
- Cream-filled pastries
- Salads (vegetable, pasta, potato, etc)
- Fresh eggs, egg substitute
- Any food item with a strange colour or odor.
Foods that are Safe Without Refrigeration
The following foods are safe without refrigeration:
- Margarine and butter
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Peanut butter, jams and jellies
- Breads, pastas and flour
- Ketchup, barbecue sauce, or mustard
- Unprepared powered milk, dry and canned food
- Hard or processed cheeses
Frozen Food
- As long as power is interrupted, keep the freezer door closed as much as possible. Food in most full, freestanding freezers will be safe for about 2 days and half-full freezers for about 1 day. If your freezer is not full, group packages together so they form an "igloo" protecting each other.
- If power is going to be out for several days, it is certainly safest to move food to another freezer. To move food safely, wrap it in newspapers or blankets, or place it in insulated containers. If you cannot relocate your food, use dry ice to assist in keeping food frozen. Twenty-five pounds of dry ice should hold a 10-cubic foot full freezer 2 to 4 days. Covering the freezer with blankets, quilts, or crumpled newspaper will also aid in keeping cold air inside.
- If food has started to thaw, you will have to evaluate each item separately to see what can safely be kept.
