Which foods should be discarded after a few hours and which should last longer.
There are few things more frustrating than a long power outage during the summer when the fridge is full of food. The big question is how long to fly and which can last for several hours without electricity.
According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the key issue is how long the food will stay at a certain temperature. It posts a list of sensitive foods on its website If it remains for more than 2 hours at a temperature above 4 degrees, it should be discarded.
This temperature is recommended for our refrigerator. Above that, microbes grow rapidly in the food, which can lead to food poisoning. Typical foods that should be discarded after 2 hours of high heat are ready-to-eat pizza, raw meat (and poultry, fish, seafood), soft cheeses, milk, yogurt, etc.
But when will the temperature of your refrigerator start to exceed 4 degrees? The USDA emphasizes this in refrigerators that work wellthis usually after 4 hours without electricity.
Be careful to ensure your refrigerator lasts at least that long do not open often recommends his door Dr. Jill Roberts, Associate Professor of Environmental Microbiology at the University of South Florida. Otherwise, the surrounding heat will quickly lower its temperature.
And the freezer
Freezer food is safer without electricity. They can last anywhere from 24 to 48 hours, depending on how full it is and how often you open the door.
Actually, in fact, if the freezer is full, they will last 48 hoursand don’t open the door. But if so half full they will endure 24 hours.
However, just because some foods are frozen does not mean they are completely safe. Freezing does not kill pathogenic microorganisms. It just stops them from growing.
Therefore, any microbial contamination that occurred before you froze them will remain as long as they are frozen, Dr. Bryan Quoc Le is a researcher in the Department of Chemistry at Pacific Lutheran University.
In general, defrosted food should not be put back into the refrigerator until the power is restored. The USDA published information about this on its website and a guide to what foods you should throw away in the freezer. A general rule of thumb is that you keep anything that has ice crystals and is frozen to the touch and discard anything that has melted.
Which deteriorates faster
The first foods to go bad after sitting in the refrigerator for long hours without electricity are meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers, Dr. Roberts.
Hard cheeses are more stable, grated more unstable. Milk and yogurt are two products you don’t want to consume when your home is out of power for a few hours. In any case, don’t test them to see if they break. Many bacteria cause food poisoning without changing its taste, smell or appearance.
Other foods that last a long time without electricity are foods that contain sugar/sugar, acid and salt or are low in moisture. Examples include jam, butter, hard cheeses, bread, peanut butter, soy sauce, and vinegar-based sauces.
All fruits and vegetables are also shelf-stable, often keeping for several days at room temperature. So you can keep them too.
When in doubt, experts say, it’s better to skip the meal than to regret it later.