Emergency response
Food safety during power outages
Deciding what chilled and frozen food is still safe after the power goes off.
- Keep fridge and freezer doors closed to keep food cold for longer.
- Eat perishable food from the fridge first, then the freezer, then long-life pantry food.
- If chilled food has been warm for an extended time, or you are unsure, throw it out. When in doubt, throw it out.
- Never taste food to decide whether it is safe.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-11-11
- Offline
- Not yet saved — download the offline pack
- Status
- Approved for publication (unofficial summary)