5 food safety tips for when extreme weather hits

Lisa Akly, RDN

Prisma Health Heart Hospital

Whether it’s a hurricane, heat waves, freezing ice in the winter or hail big enough to damage cars, weather can lead to serious discomfort. When the power goes out, though, that discomfort could easily turn into concern about your fridge full of food and if it’ll be safe to eat. Lisa Akly, RDN, spoke with us about food safety tips during extreme weather events, including what non-perishables are best to keep on hand and how long the food in your fridge is safe to eat.

How long does food keep in the fridge after a power outage?

Foods like milk, eggs, lean meats, cheese, certain fresh fruits and fresh vegetables are all excellent for building healthy, nourishing meals, but they do need to stay refrigerated.

“The FDA states your refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours as long as you don’t open it,” said Akly. “If your power is out for longer than four hours, your best bet will be to move your refrigerated foods and anything else in the fridge that can spoil into a cooler surrounded by ice.”

How long can the freezer keep things frozen?

When it comes to frozen foods, you definitely can’t rely on general appearance or odor to tell you when the freezer has thawed too much to be safe to eat.

“A full freezer will maintain temperature for about 48 hours, or 24 hours if it’s half full, as long as the door stays closed,” said Akly. “Once power is restored, you can open it back up and check each package of food to determine its safety. If the food still contains ice crystals or is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, it’s safe to refreeze or cook.”

Keep long-lasting food on-hand for potential extreme weather

You might already have shelf-stable items like peanut butter (or other nut butters), cans of beans, canned tuna or other fish on hand, but there are other less-perishable items that can help you still have access to good, healthy meals even during a prolonged power outage.

“I think it’s important to have not just proteins that are shelf-stable, but other options, too,” said Akly. “Canned vegetables, low sodium soups, trail mixes and canned fruit or fruit cups stored in juice, not syrup, help you keep a varied diet even without power.”

Great grains to keep around

If you’re the type to have a sweet tooth, ginger snaps and graham crackers offer sweet treats that are lower in calories and fat per serving and last a long time without the need to refrigerate them.

“When it comes to basic grains, bread, crackers, granola bars, ready-to-eat dry cereals and oatmeal are all perfect building blocks for solid, healthy meals,” said Akly.

Is tap water safe to drink during a flood?

During floods, your usual water source, whether it’s municipal water or well water, might not be safe to consume. Make sure you watch for any ongoing boil orders in your area.

“During floods, you might need to rely on bottled water that hasn’t been exposed to the floodwaters. If you can’t get ahold of bottled water, boil and disinfect your water at home to make it safe.”

More information on food safety during extreme weather events

For more food safety tips during extreme weather, you can check out the FDA’s helpful info right here. We also have more information on food safety on Flourish.