Community Corner

Without Power? When Do I Throw My Food Away?

Guidelines from the USDA.

For those Foxborough residents who lost their power on Sunday as the result of passing through town, and still remain without power, how long is the food stored in your refrigerator or freezer still safe to eat before you have to discard it?

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service prepared a fact sheet for keeping food safe during an emergency, including losing power.

The USDA says to "keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature."

Find out what's happening in Foxboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But, the refrigerator will only keep food safely cold for about four hours if unopened during a power outage, according to the USDA. A full freezer will hold the temperature for about 48 hours if full (24 hours of half full), the USDA says.

The USDA emphasizes "never to taste food to determine it's safety" and says that you should "evaluate each item separately."

Find out what's happening in Foxboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Generally, if the temperature in the thermometer in the freezer reads 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, the food is safe and can be refrozen, according to the USDA. The USDA suggests obtaining dry or block ice to help keep refrigerated or frozen food cold if the power will be out for an extended period of time.

For more details and for a list of "when to save and when to throw it out" for refrigerated and frozen food items, click on this link:


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here