Did you know pizza should be thrown out after two hours at room temperature? That your freezer can safely store frozen food for 48 hours after the power goes out?
This and a wealth of other information is available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the site, A Consumer's Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes.
A few other tips:
- Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerator food cold if the power will be out for more than four hours.
- Purchase or make ice cubes and store in the freezer for use in the refrigerator or in a cooler.
- Freeze gel packs ahead of time for use in coolers.
- Group food together in the freezer—this helps the food stay cold longer.
- Never taste a food to determine its safety.
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
- Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below.
The site also contains a chart that tells which foods can be refrozen and which should be discarded and provides contact information for agencies that can assist during emergencies.
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