Food Safety in an Emergency
What you should do
- Before a power outage, turn refrigerators and freezers to the coldest setting.
- During a power outage, avoid opening refrigerators and freezers.
- If the power is out for more than four hours, throw away meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, deli items, and any leftovers.
- If the temperature in the freezer goes above 41 degrees, throw away any food that is in the freezer.
- Many times, you cannot see, smell, or taste bacteria in food that could make you sick. When in doubt, throw it out.
Rhode Island Department of Health