Help! My Refrigeratr r Freezer Stpped Wrking. Is My Fd? A fd safety guide after a pwer failure r appliance prblem Fact Sheet FS1178 Cperative Extensin Daryl L. Minch, M.Ed., CFCS, Family and Cmmunity Health Sciences Educatr, Smerset Cunty Pwer failures, drs left pen, and appliance breakdwns are reasns fr a refrigeratr r a freezer t stp wrking prperly. When this ccurs, the quality and safety f fd r beverages in yur refrigeratr r freezer is in questin. Yu need t decide if the fd is safe. Is the Fd t Eat? The answer is nt simple; hwever these guidelines and fd charts will help yu decide if a fd is safe. Yu must evaluate each fd separately. Health and ty First Staying healthy is mst imprtant. If yu get sick frm eating an unsafe fd, the cst f ging t a dctr r hspital will cst mre than the cst f replacing the fd. Yung children, lder adults and peple with serius illnesses r weakened immune systems are mre at risk fr fdbrne illness. They may get sick sner, have mre serius symptms r die. A fd may lk, smell, and taste gd, but still cntain unsafe amunts f pathgens r txins (pisns prduced by bacteria). Cking is nt guaranteed t make the fd safe. The glden rule f fd safety is when in dubt, thrw it ut, never taste the fd! Answer these Questins t Decide If a Fd Is : What is the freezer r refrigeratr temperature at nw? Keep a thermmeter in the refrigeratr and freezer areas t mnitr the temperature. The freezer shuld be at 0 F r belw. The refrigeratr shuld be at r belw 40 F. If the temperature is higher than these recmmendatins, then the fd will start t thaw and/ r spil mre rapidly. The warmer the temperature, the faster bacteria will grw in the fd. Hw much time has passed since the pwer went ut r the appliance failed? Write dwn the time when the pwer went ff and the time the pwer went back n. Hw lng was the pwer ff? If yu dn t knw, give it yur best guess. Fr example was the pwer ut 1 hur r 20 hurs? Refrigerated fd shuld be abve 40 F fr n mre than 2 hurs. Lnger times may allw bacteria t grw. A full refrigeratr with the dr clsed will hld its temperature fr abut 4 hurs. Rutgers, The State University f New Jersey 88 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8525 Phne: 848.932.5000
A full freezer with the dr clsed will hld its temperature fr abut 2 days, a half-full freezer abut 1 day. A full stand-alne freezer may stay cld even lnger. If the freezer is nt full, stack packages tgether t keep the fd clder and fill empty space with ice packs r bags f ice. Put trays under fd because it may drip when thawing. Refrigeratr. Des fd feel cld? Check the temperature f refrigeratr fds, as sn as the pwer ges back n. If pssible, use an instant read thermmeter t check the temperature f fds. It is easy t test milk r leftvers with an instant read thermmeter. D ther fds feel cld t the tuch? Cld fds (40 F r less) may still be safe. Once fds exceed 40 F, many will remain safe fr nly 2 mre hurs. Use the fd chart t determine which fds t keep and which t discard. Freezer. Is the frzen fd still hard t the tuch? Des it have ice crystals in it? Is it cld? Dn t pen the freezer when the pwer is ff, but d inspect freezer fds immediately after the pwer ges back n. If yu wait t lng, the fd will be cld r freeze again and yu will nt be able t tell if it has thawed. Fd that is partially frzen r cntains ice crystals may be refrzen r used. Fd that is cld, (refrigeratr temperature) may be refrzen r used. Thawed fd lses quality (texture and flavr). fd that is warm r melted, except fr cked (nt raw) baked gds (examples: bread, ckies, cake). Use the fd chart t determine which fds t keep and which t discard. What t D When the Pwer Ges Off Keep the refrigeratr r freezer drs clsed. Open nly as necessary. Write dwn the time when the pwer went ff and the time the pwer went back n s yu will knw hw lng the pwer ff. The fds listed belw will remain safe withut refrigeratin (see chart fr ther fds) s d nt wrry abut keeping them cld. These fds are refrigerated t maintain quality and increase strage time, nt t keep them safe. Uncut, fresh fruit and vegetables such as apples, lemns, limes, ranges, carrts, peppers, and brccli. Hwever, cut prduce must be kept cld fr safety. Breads, muffins and ther baked gds Grated parmesan r Rman cheese Jelly, tac sauce, ketchup, mustard, sy sauce, barbeque sauce, and peanut butter Butter r margarine If the pwer will be ff a lng time, chse ne f these ptins: Grup fds tgether in the refrigeratr r freezer r in a cler with ice. A cler is easier t keep cld than the refrigeratr. A freezer will stay cld lnger with additinal ice. Find a friend with extra refrigeratr r freezer space. Lcate frzen ice packs, blck ice r bagged ice. Blck ice lasts lnger. Add ice r ice packs t the refrigeratr and freezer. The mre ice, the better. If placing in the refrigeratr, place ice in a cntainer t hld the melting water. Replace ice as it thaws. Lcate dry ice. Lk under ice r carbn dixide in the telephne bk. Dry ice is very cld (-109.3 F) and can burn skin, s wear prtective glves and fllw directins n hw t handle it safely. Twenty-five punds f dry ice shuld keep a full 10 cubic-ft freezer cld fr 3 r 4 days. Unsafe Fd Unsafe fd can make peple and animals sick. D nt taste questinable fd. D nt feed it t pets r wild animals. fd by putting it in a plastic bag and in a clsed garbage cntainer. Make sure animals cannt get int it. Wash yur hands and surfaces well after handling ptentially unsafe fd.
REFRIGERATOR FOODS: When t Save and When t Thrw It Out General Rule: As lng as the pwer has been ut less than 2 hurs, all fds will be safe. Otherwise cnsult the chart belw. FOOD MEAT, POULTRY, SEAFOOD Fresh r leftver meat, pultry, fish, r seafd Thawing meat r pultry Meat, tuna, shrimp, chicken r egg salad Gravy, stuffing, brth Lunchmeats, ht dgs, bacn, sausage, dried beef Pizza with any tpping Canned hams labeled "Keep Refrigerated Canned meats and fish, pened CHEESE Sft Cheeses: Blue/Bleu, Rquefrt, Brie, Camembert, Cttage, Cream, Edam, Mnterey Jack, Rictta, Mzzarella, Muenster, Neufchatel, Ques Blanc, Ques Fresc Hard Cheeses: cheddar, Clby, Swiss, Parmesan, Prvlne, Rman Prcessed Cheeses Shredded Cheeses Lw-fat Cheeses Grated Parmesan, Rman, r cmbinatin (in can r jar) DAIRY Milk, cream, sur cream, buttermilk, evaprated milk, ygurt, eggng, sy milk Butter, margarine Baby frmula, pened EGGS Fresh eggs Hard-cked in shell, egg dishes, egg prducts Custards and puddings CASSEROLES, SOUPS, STEWS FRUIT Fresh fruits, cut Fruit juices, pened Canned fruits, pened Uncut fresh fruits, ccnut, raisins, dried fruits, candied fruits, dates Held abve 40ºF fr ver 2 hurs Help! Is my fd safe? Cperative Extensin Fact Sheet - FS1178
Held abve 40ºF FOOD fr ver 2 hurs SAUCES, SPREADS, JAMS Opened maynnaise, tartar sauce, hrseradish if abve 50 F fr ver 8 hurs Peanut butter Relish, tac, barbecue & sy sauce, mustard, catsup, lives, pickles Jelly, jam Fish sauces (yster sauce) Opened vinegar-based dressings Opened creamy-based dressings Spaghetti sauce, pened jar BREAD, CAKES, COOKIES, PASTA, GRAINS Bread, rlls, cakes, muffins, quick breads, trtillas Refrigeratr biscuits, rlls, ckie dugh Cked pasta, rice, ptates Pasta salads with maynnaise r vinaigrette Fresh pasta Cheesecake Waffles, pancakes, bagels PIES, PASTRY Pastries, cream filled Pies custard, cheese filled, r chiffn; quiche Pies, fruit VEGETABLES Dried mushrms, herbs, spices Fresh mushrms Greens, pre-cut, pre-washed, packaged Whle vegetables, raw Vegetables, cked Vegetable juice, pened Baked ptates Cmmercial garlic in il Ptat salad OTHER Baby frmula, pened Sda, pened Help! Is my fd safe? Cperative Extensin Fact Sheet - FS1178
FROZEN FOOD: When t Save and When T Thrw It Out General Rule: Frzen fds that still cntain ice crystals r are at 40 F r belw may be refrzen withut much lss f quality. Fllw the guidelines in the chart belw fr individual fds. any fully cked fd that has cme in cntact with raw meat, pultry r seafd juices. FOOD Partially thawed. Still cntains ice crystals. Or thawed and feels cld, as if refrigerated. MEAT, POULTRY, SEAFOOD Beef, veal, lamb, prk, and grund meats Refreeze Pultry and grund pultry Refreeze Variety meats (liver, kidney, heart, chitterlings) Refreeze Casserles, stews, sups Refreeze Fish, shellfish, breaded seafd prducts Refreeze. Hwever there will be sme texture and flavr lss. DAIRY & EGGS Milk Refreeze. May lse quality. Eggs (ut f shell) and egg prducts Refreeze Ice cream, frzen ygurt fr quality Cheese (sft and semi-sft) Refreeze. May lse sme texture. Hard cheeses Refreeze Refreeze Shredded cheeses Refreeze Casserles cntaining milk, cream, eggs, sft cheeses Refreeze Cheesecake Refreeze Thawed. Held abve 40 F fr ver 2 hurs. FRUIT Fruit Juices Refreeze Refreeze. if mld, yeasty smell r sliminess develps. Hme r cmmercially packaged fruit Refreeze. Will change in texture and flavr. Refreeze. if mld, yeasty smell r sliminess develps. VEGETABLES Vegetable Juices Refreeze after held abve 40ºF fr 6 hurs. Hme r cmmercially packaged r blanched. Help! Is my fd safe? Cperative Extensin Fact Sheet - FS1178 Refreeze. May suffer texture and flavr lss. after held abve 40ºF fr 6 hurs.
FOOD Partially thawed. Thawed. BREADS, PASTRIES Breads, rlls, muffins, cakes (withut Refreeze Refreeze custard fillings) Cakes, pies, pastries with custard Refreeze r cheese filling Pie crusts, cmmercial and hmemade bread dugh Refreeze. Sme quality lss may ccur. Refreeze. Quality lss is cnsiderable. OTHER Casserles pasta r rice based Refreeze Flur, crnmeal, nuts Refreeze Refreeze Frzen meal, entree, specialty items (pizza, sausage and biscuit, meat pie, cnvenience fds) Refreeze * Charts adapted frm Fd ty and Inspectin Service (FSIS) Keeping Fd During an Emergency fact sheet. Available at fsis.usda.gv Hmemade Ice Packs Fill clean quart r half galln plastic cntainers (juice and sda bttles wrk well) with water, leaving a cuple f inches free fr ice expansin during freezing. Freeze and stre several ice packs in the freezer fr use when traveling, camping r emergencies. These slid ice packs thaw mre slwly than ice cubes. Yu may als drink the water as it thaws. Fr Mre Infrmatin: Rutgers Cperative Extensin Website: njaes.rutgers.edu Fd ty and Inspectin Service Website: fsis.usda.gv FightBAC! Website: fightbac.rg USDA Meat & Pultry Htline: Weekdays 10 t 4 PM EST, 1-800-535-4555 Fd & Drug Administratin Fd Infrmatin Line: 888-SAFE FOOD 2012 Rutgers, The State University f New Jersey. All rights reserved. Fr a cmprehensive list f ur publicatins visit www.njaes.rutgers.edu March 2012 Cperating Agencies: Rutgers, The State University f New Jersey, U.S. Department f Agriculture, and Cunty Bards f Chsen Freehlders. Rutgers Cperative Extensin, a unit f the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Statin, is an equal pprtunity prgram prvider and emplyer. Rutgers, The State University f New Jersey 88 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8525 Phne: 848.932.5000