What to do with food in the refrigerator and freezer after a power outage

According to the U.S . Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA), there is a golden rule to remember: if you don't open the door, your food will last longer.

• The refrigerator will maintain a safe temperature (less than 40°F/5°C) for up to 4 hours without electricity if it remains closed.
• The freezer, if it is full, keeps food for 48 hours; if it is half full, about 24 hours.

So during a prolonged power outage, every unnecessary opening shortens the shelf life of your food.

When the refrigerator is above 40°F/5°C for more than 2 hours, some foods are no longer safe and should be discarded to avoid the risk of food poisoning.

According to the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), all perishable foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, fresh cheese and any leftovers that have not been refrigerated should be discarded. Even if they are cooked afterwards, if they have exceeded the safe temperature threshold they can cause food poisoning, in addition to contaminating other products in contact with them.

Whole fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, are better able to withstand higher temperatures, so they can be consumed as long as they retain good appearance and freshness, and are properly washed. This is not the case with cut fruit or prepared salads: in these cases, they should be discarded like any other perishable food.

On the other hand, some non-perishable products such as soft drinks, unopened preserves, alcoholic beverages or chocolate, although usually kept in the refrigerator, do not require refrigeration. They can be kept perfectly well at room temperature without affecting their safety or quality.

Key tip: Don't rely on smell or appearance. As food technologist Gemma del Caño reminds us, a food can look normal and be contaminated. And as the USDA insists, never taste a food to decide whether to keep it or not.

Fortunately, not everything needs to be thrown away after a power outage. Some foods, by their nature, are better able to withstand temperatures above 40°F/5 °C for a reasonable time. These include:

• Whole fruits and vegetables, such as: apples (5-7 days without cold), citrus fruits (up to 10 days), carrots (4-5 days in a cool place), zucchini or cucumbers (1-2 days), potatoes and onions (weeks, if in a dry and ventilated place).
• Cured and hard cheeses: Manchego, Parmesan, Gruyère... can be kept 1-2 days out of the cold if well wrapped and in a cool place.
• Butter, protected from light and air, can last up to 48 hours without refrigeration.
• Bread, cookies, cakes without filling or cream: keep well for several days.
• Unopened juices or beverages, sealed preserves, chocolates, alcoholic beverages: do not require refrigeration and can be consumed without problem.

Frozen foods require careful evaluation after a power failure. Their safety depends on whether they have remained at sufficiently low temperatures throughout the power outage.

If the food still has visible ice crystals or remains clearly cold to the touch (below 40°F/5°C), it can be refrozen or consumed the same day, provided it is fully cooked to safe temperatures.

On the other hand, if the product has completely thawed and lost its coldness, especially in the case of high-risk foods such as meat, poultry, fish or seafood, it should be discarded, even if it does not have a bad odor or altered appearance.

Food should never be tasted to assess its safety. If there is uncertainty as to how long it has been out of proper temperature, or if it cannot be guaranteed that it has remained cold, the safest and most prudent thing to do is to throw it away.

• Avoid opening the refrigerator or freezer during a power outage. Every time they are opened, the temperature rises.
• If you have a thermometer in the refrigerator, use it: 40°F/5°C is the critical threshold for perishable foods.
• If you have dry ice or cold accumulators, place them inside to save time.
• Keep a small record of how long the power outage lasted and prioritize consumption or discard depending on the type of food.
• Remember: better to throw away than get sick. Food poisoning can have serious consequences.