Food Safety After a Power Outage or Flood

Food Safety in an Emergency

After a long blackout or a flood, the question in every kitchen is the same: can we still eat this? Food poisoning is the last thing you need when water is short and hospitals are busy. A few clear rules, and a thermometer, take the guessing out of it.

1. Before

Keep a thermometer in the fridge and one in the freezer. The fridge should be at 4°C or colder, the freezer at minus 18°C.
Keep food that needs no fridge and no cooking. See Home kit for 7 days and the kit calculator.
Freeze bottles of water. They keep the freezer cold longer and become drinking water as they thaw.
Keep a cool box, a manual can opener and a way to cook without electricity.

2. During a power outage

Keep fridge and freezer doors closed as much as possible.
A closed fridge keeps food safe for about 4 hours.
A full freezer keeps its temperature for about 48 hours, a half-full one for about 24 hours.
Eat in this order: fresh food from the fridge first, then freezer food, then your stored dry and canned food.
In winter, a cold balcony or box outside can work as a fridge if the temperature stays below 4°C and animals cannot reach it.
Cook outdoors or with good ventilation. Never use a grill or camping stove indoors. See Carbon monoxide.

When the power returns

Throw away perishable food that has been above 4°C for 2 hours or more: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, soft cheese, cooked leftovers, cut fruit.
Frozen food that still has ice crystals or is at 4°C or colder can be refrozen or cooked.
Never taste food to decide if it is safe. When in doubt, throw it out.

3. After a flood

Throw away any food that touched floodwater, unless it is in a waterproof container.
Throw away food in cardboard, paper, cloth or screw-cap, snap-lid or home-canned containers that were in the water.
Undamaged factory-sealed metal cans can be saved: remove the label, wash, disinfect and re-label them.
Throw away cans that are swollen, leaking, badly dented or rusted.
Wash and disinfect worktops, dishes and utensils that touched floodwater.
See Floods.

4. Water and hygiene

Use only safe water for drinking, cooking, washing food and making baby formula. See Water outages.
Wash hands with soap and safe water before preparing food, or use hand sanitiser.
Use ready-to-feed formula for babies if safe water is not available.
Use disposable plates and cups if you cannot wash up properly.