Power Outage Can Have Negative Impact on Food in Refrigerator and Freezer

As a result of the severe weather that moved through ourregion Tuesday evening, many DuPage County residents are still without power, and could be without power for a number of days. The DuPage County HealthDepartment is providing residents with tips on what to do with food in theirrefrigerators and freezers that is being affected by this outage.

If the power is out for longer than two hours, residents should follow these guidelines from the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• For the freezer section: A freezer that is half full will hold food safely for up to 24 hours. A full freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours. Do not open thefreezer door if you can avoid it. Be cautious of food that may have thawed andbecome refrozen once power is restored.
• For the refrigerated section: Pack milk, other dairy products, meat, fish, eggs,gravy, and spoilable leftovers into a cooler surrounded by ice. InexpensiveStyrofoam coolers are fine for this purpose.
• Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of your food right afterpower has been restored. Throw away any food that has a temperature of morethan 41 degrees Fahrenheit.