How to Keep Your Food Safe During a Power Outage

When the power goes out, one of the first things many people worry about is the food in their fridge and freezer. Eating food that hasn’t been properly stored can lead to serious health problems. But if you've ever had to throw away spoiled groceries after a prolonged power outage, you know how frustrating and costly it can be.

In this blog, we’ll share some practical tips on how to keep your food safe during a power outage, including how to keep your food safe without electricity and what you can do to prepare ahead of time.

Why Food Safety Matters During a Power Outage

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for food to become unsafe when your fridge or freezer loses power. Most refrigerators can only keep food cold for about four hours without electricity. After that, the internal temperature starts to rise, putting perishable items like meat, poultry, dairy, and leftovers at risk of spoiling.

When food reaches unsafe temperatures, bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli can grow quickly. Consuming spoiled food can lead to food poisoning, which may cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and in severe cases, even hospitalization.

How Long Does Food Last During a Power Outage?

It doesn’t take long for food to become unsafe once your power goes out. While it might feel like your fridge or freezer is doing the job for a while, things warm up quicker than you think. So, how much time do you really have before food starts to spoil?

Let’s break it down:

• Refrigerator (unopened): Once the power goes out, a closed fridge will maintain a safe temperature (below 40°F) for about 4 hours. After that, items like milk, meat, eggs, and leftovers are no longer safe to eat.

• Freezer (unopened): A full freezer can keep its temperature for 48 hours if you don’t open the door. A half-full freezer will last about 24 hours. Keeping the doors closed is crucial. Every time you open the fridge or freezer, you let cold air out and warm air in, speeding up the spoilage process.

Tip: Use appliance thermometers. Keeping one in your fridge and freezer helps you know when temperatures rise above safe levels (40°F for the refrigerator, 0°F for the freezer).

What to Do Immediately After the Power Goes Out

During a power loss, your first instinct might be to check the breaker or grab a flashlight. If you have a fridge full of groceries, acting fast can help keep them safe.

Here’s what to do:

• Keep doors closed: This is the number one rule. Every minute the door is open, you’re letting cold air escape.

• Group frozen items together: If you don’t have a full freezer, group your frozen items in the center to help them stay colder longer.

• Use ice packs or dry ice if available: If the outage is expected to last several hours or more, adding ice packs or dry ice to your fridge or freezer can help extend the time food stays cold.

• Don’t rely on “feel” to judge food safety: Cold to the touch doesn’t necessarily mean safe. A thermometer is your best bet.

How to Tell If Your Food Is Still Safe to Eat

After the power comes back, you’ll need to make sure the food and groceries in the fridge are safe for consumption. A good way to do so is by checking the temperature. If your refrigerator stayed at or below 40°F for the duration of the blackout, your food is likely safe. If frozen food still has ice crystals, it can usually be refrozen.

Experts recommend throwing away the following items if they’ve been above 40°F for more than 2 hours:

• Raw meat, poultry, seafood

• Dairy products like milk, soft cheese, and yogurt

• Cooked leftovers

• Eggs and egg-based products

• Cut fruits and vegetables

• What might be okay

Some items can handle warmer temps for a short period:

• Hard cheeses (cheddar, Parmesan)

• Butter and margarine

• Bread, rolls, and fresh fruits

• Condiments like ketchup and mustard (but toss mayo)

Smart Ways to Prepare Ahead of a Power Outage

Even a short power outage can cause major disruptions, especially when it catches you off guard. While you can’t always predict when the next blackout will hit, you can take steps to reduce the stress and protect your food supply before it happens.

Here’s how you can prepare ahead of time:

• Stock non-perishable food: Keep canned goods, boxed meals, nut butters, and shelf-stable milk on hand. These don’t require refrigeration and can feed your family during an extended outage.

• Freeze water containers: Fill clean jugs or bottles with water and freeze them. They’ll help keep your freezer cold longer and can double as emergency drinking water.

• Organize your fridge and freezer: Store perishable items together and label containers with dates. This makes it easier to assess what’s safe later.

• Keep coolers and ice ready: If you have advance warning of an outage (like during hurricane season), fill coolers with ice or freeze gel packs to use as backup cold storage.

• Have thermometers inside: Refrigerator and freezer thermometers are inexpensive but critical. They eliminate the guesswork of whether food stayed safe.

What Foods to Keep in Your Emergency Pantry

Even with the best efforts to keep your fridge and freezer closed during a power outage, there’s always a chance that perishable food may not last. That’s why it’s important to have a well-stocked emergency pantry with items that don’t require refrigeration or cooking.

Here are some smart staples you may consider stocking:

• Canned vegetables and beans

• Canned meats (chicken, tuna, salmon)

• Nut butters

• Shelf-stable milk or powdered milk

• Instant oatmeal

• Crackers and granola bars

• Rice, pasta, and boxed mixes

• Dried fruit and trail mix

• Bottled water (at least one gallon per person per day)

No Power? No Problem

While the above tips are helpful, they’re only short-term solutions. When the power goes out for more than a few hours, there’s little you can do to save food from spoiling unless you have a backup power source.

On average, households lose over $250 in spoiled groceries per outage. That’s not including the time spent replacing those items or dealing with illness from questionable food. A standby generator automatically powers your home when the main power goes out. That means your refrigerator and freezer continue to operate like normal without needing to rush or worry about food spoilage.

A backup generator is a significant investment upfront. Still, it pays off quickly when you consider the money, time, and stress it saves, especially if you live in a region like Florida, where outages are frequent during hurricane season.

Why KingAire’s Backup Solutions Are Worth the Investment

After learning how quickly food can spoil without electricity and how stressful it can be to manage a fridge full of perishables during an outage, it’s clear that preparation only goes so far. Ice packs and coolers can buy you a little time, but they’re not a long-term solution.

If you want real peace of mind and lasting protection, a backup generator is the most reliable way to keep your food (and home) safe during a power outage.

Here’s what sets KingAire apart:

Automatic reliability: Our generators kick in within seconds of a power loss. You don’t have to be home or even lift a finger. Your fridge, freezer, and essential appliances stay running.

Custom solutions: Not every home has the same power needs. We help you choose the right size and setup for your space, ensuring you’re protected without overpaying.

Experienced installation: We handle everything from permitting to professional installation. No guesswork. No hassle. Just dependable power when you need it most.

Local service and support: We’re based right here in Florida, so we understand the storm season and the challenges that come with it. When you work with us, you're partnering with a team that truly gets it.

Final Thoughts

When investing in backup power, it’s important to choose the right size system for your needs.  If you’re unsure about the right size generator for your home, KingAire’s team can help you determine exactly what size you need. We take into account the size of your home, the appliances you need to run, and even Florida’s unique weather challenges. We also offer a range of reliable backup power solutions tailored to your home’s specific power needs and budget.

To learn more about how we can help, contact us or call us at (850) 466-8984.