Food Safety Tips
Power outages present problems with food safety. If people at home or those in food establishments have had a loss of power for more than four hours, take the following precautions with refrigerated food products:
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Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.
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Discard any potentially hazardous foods such as meats, eggs, dairy products and leftovers that may have exceeded 41 degrees Fahrenheit. When in doubt, throw it out.
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Frozen foods in a freezer can normally be kept up to 48 hours without power. Again, the 41 degrees Fahrenheit rule applies. A frozen product that has thawed should not be refrozen - it should be used immediately or disposed of. Thawed foods that have not reached 41 degrees Fahrenheit can be cooked and consumed.