With power outages expected to linger for days and possibly into the weekend for some New Jersey residents, the clock has already likely expired on food kept in refrigerators and freezers that haven’t been hooked up to generators while crews work to restore electricity.
More than 300,000 homes and businesses were without power at the peak of the outages. Crews worked through the night, but more than 200,000 outages remained Tuesday well after the four hour window where food safety starts to become an issue.
Refrigerators typically maintain a safe temperature for about four hours after a power outage assuming you keep the door closed as much as possible, the FDA advises. Once the temperature pops above 40 degrees for more than two hours, it’s time to start tossing stuff.
Frozen foods usually buy you more time. The FDA says a full freezer with the door kept closed can stay safe for 48 hours, but that time drops to 24 hours for a half-full freezer. If there’s still ice crystals or the food says below 40 degrees, it can be refrozen.
Dozens of grocery stores in the New Jersey counties hardest hit by Monday night’s storms are offering free ice and water to those without power.
Not everything needs to end up in the trash.
“After a power outage never taste food to determine its safety,” the FDA advises on its website. “You will have to evaluate each item separately—use this chart as a guide. When in doubt, throw it out.”
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