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How long food lasts in a power outage
AccuWeather
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1/28/2025
AccuWeather Meteorologist Tony Laubach talks about how long cold food can stay fresh when the power goes out.
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Transcript
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00:00
At some point in our lives, we have to deal with power outages due to weather for a few hours or sometimes for a few days.
00:06
So how long does food stay fresh in your fridge once the power is out?
00:09
How long your food lasts depends on how many times you open your fridge and freezer doors.
00:13
If you leave your fridge closed, all foods are safe to eat for at least 4 hours.
00:18
After 4 hours without power, you must throw away perishable foods like dairy, eggs, meat and salads, condiments, bread, pastries without creamer,
00:25
custards, some hard cheeses, uncut fruits and vegetables are all safe to eat after 4 hours if you leave your doors closed.
00:33
Foods are safe to eat after 48 hours if the freezer is full, but only 24 hours if it's half full.
00:39
If you're unsure, check the temperature. If your food has ice crystals or is 40 degrees and below, it's safe to eat.
00:45
But keep doors closed as much as possible.
00:48
For more safety and preparedness tips and tools, visit AccuWeather.com slash ready.
00:53
For AccuWeather, I'm meteorologist Tony Laubach.
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