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Perishable refrigerated or frozen foods should not be held above 40 degrees for more than two hours. In the event a power outage extends beyond two hours, being prepared can help save your perishables:
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer closed. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold enough for at least a couple of hours. A freezer that is half full will hold for up to 24 hours and a full freezer up to 48 hours.
- If it looks like the power outage will last more than two to four hours, pack frozen foods, refrigerated milk, dairy products, meat, fish, poultry, eggs and all leftovers into a cooler surrounded by ice or dry ice*. During the winter, you may be able to place the items in a container and put them outside.
- If the power is still out when you go to bed, leave your bedroom light on so that when the power comes on, it will wake you. Then you can check on your food and return it to the refrigerator or freezer as soon as it is cool enough.
- For more detailed information about when to discard particular food items, check these charts for frozen foods and refrigerated foods.
* Check the yellow pages under "dry ice" for local suppliers.
Reminder: Call toll-free 1-888-LIGHTKC (1-888-544-4852) to report outages, flickering lights, lines down or other damage-related problems.
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