For those folks still without power due to Hurricane Sandy, it may be time to empty out the fridge and freezer.
According to www.foodsafety.gov, the overall rule is to discard refrigerated items if the electricity has been out for more than four hours. (Which does not leave much time for using up those groceries.)
"Discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers) that have been above 40 °F for over 2 hours," the website states.
It is better to bet on the safe side and not to judge an item by smell or by tasting it.
The following is a post, power-outage, food safety chart from www.foodsafety.gov:
Food Categories
Specific Foods
Held above 40 °F for over 2 hours
MEAT, POULTRY, SEAFOOD
Raw or leftover cooked meat, poultry, fish, or seafood; soy meat substitutes
Discard
Thawing meat or poultry
Discard
Salads: Meat, tuna, shrimp, chicken, or egg salad
Discard
Gravy, stuffing, broth
Discard
Lunchmeats, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, dried beef
Discard
Pizza – with any topping
Discard
Canned hams labeled "Keep Refrigerated"
Discard
Canned meats and fish, opened
Discard
Casseroles, soups, stews
Discard
CHEESE
Soft Cheeses: blue/bleu, Roquefort, Brie, Camembert, cottage, cream, Edam, Monterey Jack, ricotta, mozzarella, Muenster, Neufchatel, queso blanco, queso fresco
Discard
Hard Cheeses: Cheddar, Colby, Swiss, Parmesan, provolone, Romano
Safe
Processed Cheeses
Safe
Shredded Cheeses
Discard
Low-fat Cheeses
Discard
Grated Parmesan, Romano, or combination (in can or jar)
Safe
DAIRY
Milk, cream, sour cream, buttermilk, evaporated milk, yogurt, eggnog, soy milk
Discard
Butter, margarine
Safe
Baby formula, opened
Discard
EGGS
Fresh eggs, hard-cooked in shell, egg dishes, egg products
Discard
Custards and puddings, quiche
Discard
FRUITS
Fresh fruits, cut
Discard
Fruit juices, opened
Safe
Canned fruits, opened
Safe
Fresh fruits, coconut, raisins, dried fruits, candied fruits, dates
Safe
SAUCES, SPREADS, JAMS
Opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce, horseradish
Discard if above 50 °F for over 8 hrs.
Peanut butter
Safe
Jelly, relish, taco sauce, mustard, catsup, olives, pickles
Safe
Worcestershire, soy, barbecue, hoisin sauces
Safe
Fish sauces, oyster sauce
Discard
Opened vinegar-based dressings
Safe
Opened creamy-based dressings
Discard
Spaghetti sauce, opened jar
Discard
BREAD, CAKES, COOKIES, PASTA, GRAINS
Bread, rolls, cakes, muffins, quick breads, tortillas
Safe
Refrigerator biscuits, rolls, cookie dough
Discard
Cooked pasta, rice, potatoes
Discard
Pasta salads with mayonnaise or vinaigrette
Discard
Fresh pasta
Discard
Cheesecake
Discard
Breakfast foods –waffles, pancakes, bagels
Safe
PIES, PASTRY
Pastries, cream filled
Discard
Pies – custard, cheese filled, or chiffon; quiche
Discard
Pies, fruit
Safe
VEGETABLES
Fresh mushrooms, herbs, spices
Safe
Greens, pre-cut, pre-washed, packaged
Discard
Vegetables, raw
Safe
Vegetables, cooked; tofu
Discard
Vegetable juice, opened
Discard
Baked potatoes
Discard
Commercial garlic in oil
Discard
Potato salad
Discard
Casseroles, soups, stews
Discard
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