How long does frozen food last during a powercut?!
Answers: Our power was off for 14 hours last night, the freezer wasn't opened and I'm wondering if the food will be safe to eat? Some people tell me it will last 24 hours but I'm not sure if I want to take the chance.
We had this kind of thing happen before when we lived in south where we occasionally evacuated from hurricanes or lost power due to weather. We were told that within 24 hours (maybe even 48 depending what the temperature has been in the house) that you can decide about items individually. It is good that you left the freezer closed. Most things, if there are still ice crystals, you can safely cook and eat. If there are no ice crystals present, then most things should probably not be eaten. Obviously, if it smells bad, it's better to throw it out.
You should check the food items before allowing them to refreeze. If it's too late for that, you may be able to tell how much thawing occurred in general. Ice cream that has thawed and refrozen tends to have a different texture. Veggies will refreeze in a clump rather than kind of loose in the bag/box. In 14 hours, neither of those will actually hurt you even if they thawed completely, but they aren't very appealing. It is very hard to tell if meat has been thawed and refrozen. If the ice cream and veggies do not seem to have thawed all the way, the meat is probably fine.
I've bought meat and poultry before at the store that was "previously frozen" and at purchase, pretty much thawed; and they told me it would be fine to take it home and re``freeze it for use within a couple months.
One last suggestion is to mark or separate everything you decide to keep. That way, you can be extra careful to thaw/cook things properly, and also double check by smell when you do thaw (or use) them. And, as you probably do anyway, try to rotate so the oldest things get used first.
some food will be okay, meats are the only thing you should teally have to worry about
Dont open the freezer and it should be fine for about two days, you can always tell by smell too!
if its meat dont eat it if its processed vegetables or something it should be okay
A long as you didn't open the door it will be JUST FINE. Don't worry about it.
about one day
if the meat has thawed, then cook it..if it is not then keep on freezing.
If the fridge door and the freezer door are not constantly opened, food will be OK up to about at least 8-10 hrs., maybe a little more.
I agree. A freezer that isn't opened will still be cold enough after 24hours.
Since you didn't open the doors, I imagine it will be okay. Check your ice cube tray to see how much melting occurred - there will be a pool at the bottom if there was very much.
When our power goes out I tape the doors of the fridge shut so that no one accidentally forgets and opens them. So far so good.
i think its more nearer to 12 or 13 hours,again depends on where you freezer is positioned
Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. Obtain dry or block ice to keep your refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic foot full freezer for 2 days. Plan ahead and know where dry ice and block ice can be purchased.
If it stays frozen it's okay. If not, cook meat and refreeze it.(provided your power is back on)
dont take a chance with meat because can give u dirrarea, you can eat stuff like leftovers, sause, vegies, stuff that you can heat over and over again without it getting messed up
you'll be fine , it happens to me on a regular basis .