FARMERSBURG, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — With strong winds and stormy weather leaving many without power going into a fifth day, some may be wondering what to do with their refrigerated or frozen foods.
According to the USDA, probably most of the perishable foods need to be tossed at this point. According to their “Keeping food safe during an emergency” article, refrigerated perishable food like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers are unsafe after just 4 hours without power.
“After a power outage never taste food to determine its safety. You will have to evaluate each item separately. When in Doubt, Throw it Out,” the website reads.
The USDA has provided a chart with various commonly refrigerated food items and what can be kept even after reaching a temperature of 40 degrees or more for longer than two hours.
| Type of Food | Held above 40 °F for more than 2 hours |
|---|---|
| Meat, poultry, seafood | |
| Raw or leftover cooked meat, poultry, fish, or seafood; soy meat substitutes |
Discard |
| Thawing meat or poultry | Discard |
| Salads: Meat, tuna, shrimp, chicken, or egg salad | Discard |
| Gravy, stuffing, broth | Discard |
| Lunchmeats, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, dried beef | Discard |
| Pizza with any topping | Discard |
| Canned hams labeled “Keep Refrigerated” | Discard |
| Canned meats and fish, opened | Discard |
| Casseroles, soups, stews | Discard |
| Cheese | |
| Soft cheeses: blue/bleu, Roquefort, Brie, Camembert, cottage, cream, Edam, Monterey Jack, ricotta, mozzarella, Muenster, Neufchatel, queso blanco, queso fresco | Discard |
| Hard cheeses: Cheddar, Colby, Swiss, Parmesan, provolone, Romano | Keep |
| Processed cheeses | Keep |
| Shredded cheeses | Discard |
| Low-fat cheeses | Discard |
| Grated Parmesan, Romano, or combination (in can or jar) | Keep |
| Dairy | |
| Milk, cream, sour cream, buttermilk, evaporated milk, yogurt, eggnog, soy milk | Discard |
| Butter, margarine | Keep |
| Baby formula, opened | Discard |
| Eggs | |
| Fresh shell eggs, eggs hard-cooked in shell, egg dishes, egg products | Discard |
| Custards and puddings, quiche | Discard |
| Fruits | |
| Fresh fruits, cut | Discard |
| Fresh fruits, uncut | Keep |
| Fruit juices, opened | Keep |
| Canned fruits, opened | Keep |
| Dried fruits, raisins, candied fruits, dates | Keep |
| Sliced or shredded coconut | Discard |
| Sauces, Spreads, Jams | |
| Opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce, horseradish | Discard (if above 50 °F for more than 8 hrs) |
| Peanut butter | Keep |
| Jelly, relish, taco sauce, mustard, catsup, olives, pickles | Keep |
| Worcestershire, soy, barbecue, hoisin sauces | Keep |
| Fish sauces, oyster sauce | Discard |
| Opened vinegar-based dressings | Keep |
| Opened creamy-based dressings | Discard |
| Spaghetti sauce, opened | Discard |
| Bread, cakes, cookies, pasta, grains | |
| Bread, rolls, cakes, muffins, quick breads, tortillas | Keep |
| Refrigerator biscuits, rolls, cookie dough | Discard |
| Cooked pasta, rice, potatoes | Discard |
| Pasta salads with mayonnaise or vinaigrette | Discard |
| Fresh pasta | Discard |
| Cheesecake | Discard |
| Breakfast foods: waffles, pancakes, bagels | Keep |
| Pies and pastry | |
| Cream filled pastries | Discard |
| Pies: Any with filling containing eggs or milk, e.g., custard, cheese-filled, or chiffon; quiche. | Discard |
| Fruit pies | Keep |
| Vegetables | |
| Fresh vegetables, cut | Discard |
| Fresh vegetables, uncut | Keep |
| Fresh mushrooms, herbs, spices | Keep |
| Greens, pre-cut, pre-washed, packaged | Discard |
| Vegetables, cooked | Discard |
| Tofu, cooked | Discard |
| Vegetable juice, opened | Discard |
| Baked potatoes | Discard |
| Commercial garlic in oil | Discard |
| Potato salad | Discard |
| Casseroles, soups, stews | Discard |
Many frozen foods will last longer than their refrigerated counterparts, however, the USDA lists most as being needed to be thrown out after 48 hours without power.
“Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40°F or below, however, its quality may suffer,” the website reads.
The USDA provided the following chart regarding foods commonly kept in a freezer.
| Type of food | Contains ice crystals and feels cold as if refrigerated | Thawed and held above 40°F for more than 2 hours |
|---|---|---|
| Meat, poultry, seafood | ||
| Meat, poultry, seafood – all types of cuts | Refreeze |
Discard |
| stews, soups | Refreeze |
Discard |
| Dairy | ||
| Milk | Refreeze (some loss of texture) |
Discard |
| Eggs (out of shell) and egg products | Refreeze | Discard |
| Ice cream, frozen yogurt | Discard | Discard |
| Cheese (soft and semi-soft) | Refreeze (some loss of texture) | Discard |
| Hard cheeses | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Shredded 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 6 hours |
| Home or commercially packaged or blanched | Refreeze (may suffer texture and flavor loss) | Discard after held above 40°F for 6 hours |
| Breads and pastries | ||
| Breads, rolls, muffins, cakes (without custard fillings) | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Cakes, pies, and 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 Foods | ||
| Casseroles: pasta, rice-based | Refreeze | Discard |
| Flour, cornmeal, nuts | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Breakfast items: waffles, pancakes, bagels | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Frozen meal, entree, specialty item (pizza, sausage and biscuit, meat pie, convenience foods) | Refreeze | Discard |
For more information regarding food safety and loss of power, click here.
