Food Safety Rules When You Lose Refrigerator Power

Anytime your home loses electrical power food safety questions will arise, especially with refrigerated food. Here’s what you need to know. A properly running refrigerator is supposed to maintain a temperature a few degrees above the freezing point of water, or 32° F / 0° C. That allows it to keep perishable foods at a safe temperature range of 37°-41° F / 3°-5° C. If you lose refrigerator power the unit should be able to keep the food that was already in it cold enough for about 4 hours if the door remains unopened. Once the internal temperature of the unit reaches 40°F / 4°C or higher, most of the food will have to be discarded after 2 hours, but there are a few exceptions. Check this list to see what can be saved a bit longer when the power goes out, but always remember the golden rule of food safety:  When in doubt, throw it out!