When should you throw out food after a power outage?

( WETM ) — If you lost power for more than a couple of hours during this week’s storms, you’ll probably have to clean out your fridge.

Food can stay fresh in a fridge without power for a short amount of time, but it becomes unsafe to eat during power outages that last more than a few hours. If you lost power and aren’t sure if the food in your refrigerator or freezer is still good, the CDC and FDA have some advice to help you figure it out.

According to the CDC, if your fridge doors stay closed after the power goes out, perishable food will stay safe for up to four hours. Frozen food will stay good for up to 24 hours if it’s half full and the door stays closed, and it will last for up to 48 hours if the freezer is full.

Adding a cooling source like ice or dry ice will extend how long refrigerated and frozen food lasts, but both the CDC and FDA say that the food cannot reach a temperature above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Frozen food that stays below 40 degrees (feels cold like it just came out of a fridge) or has ice crystals is safe to refreeze or cook, but the quality might decrease.

Everything in your fridge doesn’t need to go in the trash if your power is out for too long. Uncut fruits and veggies, fresh mushrooms, fresh herbs, butter, and most condiments will still be safe if they aren’t kept cool, according to the FDA. All meats, leftovers (food that’s already been cooked), eggs, and most dairy will need to be thrown away. If you aren’t sure if a specific item is okay to keep in the fridge or refreeze, you can look at the FDA’s guide .

Any food that has an unusual color, smell, or texture needs to be thrown away no matter how long the power was out. The CDC and FDA emphasize to never taste an item to determine if it’s spoiled and say you should throw away any item you aren’t sure about.

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