More than 290,000 North Texans were still without power Wednesday morning after a severe storm blew through the Dallas area early Tuesday.
Many probably have a refrigerator and freezer full of food they’re worried about losing after stocking up for the work week and the first week of kids home for the summer. With the jump in Texas food prices, the hit can really break a budget.
For restaurants, it can mean thousands of dollars in lost inventory. So how long can perishables remain in the fridge and freezer during an power outage before they go bad?
How long will food last in the fridge during a power outage?
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration recommends keeping your refrigerator and freezer doors closed for as long as possible to maintain cold temperatures. Food stored in the refrigerator will keep in temperatures below 40 degrees for about four hours if the fridge is unopened
That means foods like milk, eggs and meat and any other perishable foods in the refrigerator are already lost.
But keeping food cool, like in ice chests and coolers, doesn’t prevent it from spoiling. Pathogenic bacteria grows on food when the temperature is between the 40 degree to 140 degree sweet spot. Most fridges are set at 40 degrees or below.
Bacteria can grow even at low refrigerator temperatures. Food that has gone bad doesn’t always look or taste bad or even smell bad.
How long will food last in the freezer in a power outage?
A full freezer will keep food fresh for about 48 hours, and a half-full freezer will keep for about 24 hours if the door stays closed.
According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, using 50 pounds of dry ice can keep an 18 cubic foot, fully stocked freezer cold for two days.
Residents should also keep track of what food they throw out and check their insurance policy to see if it can be included in a claim related to Tuesday’s storms, but the deductible will likely apply.
Once the power is back on
Once power is restored, which for some won’t be until Saturday, according to Oncor, if the thermometer in the freezer is 40 degrees or below, the food is safe and may be refrozen. But if it’s above 40, it should be tossed to prevent the possibility of food poisoning.