Food Safety Center: Food Businesses
Food Safety During Power Outages in Food Establishments
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Power Outages in
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The following are recommendations that apply to food safety during an
extended power outage (more than two hours). Appropriate decision making
before, during, and immediately after a power outage is necessary to
protect consumers from unsafe food and minimize product loss. The Department
recommends that food establishments develop a power outage plan before
the need arises.
On this page:
When there is a Power Outage
Potentially Hazardous Foods
Keep Foods at Safe Temperatures
Freezers
Refrigerators
What to Discard
When Power is Restored
When there is a Power Outage
- Note the time the power outage begins.
- Discontinue all cooking operations.
- Do not place hot food in refrigerators or freezers, as this will
rapidly raise the temperature inside the refrigerator or freezer and
may make more food unusable.
- Discard food products that are in the process of being cooked, but
which have not yet reached the final cooking temperature.
- Maintain hot potentially hazardous food at 140°F or above. Food
that has reached final cooking temperature may be kept hot (140°F)
by use of canned heat in chafing dishes.
- Use ice or/ice baths to rapidly cool small batches of hot food.
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Food Safety
Potentially Hazardous Foods
Potentially hazardous foods are those foods such as high protein foods
(meat, eggs, dairy) and cooked vegetables that support the rapid and
progressive growth of disease causing bacteria.
Foodborne illnesses can be caused by bacteria that can multiply rapidly
in foods when the food is held in the temperature danger zone (41° to
140°F).
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Keep foods at safe temperatures
Refrigerated potentially hazardous foods must be stored at or below
41°F. Frozen foods must be maintained frozen. Hot cooked potentially
hazardous food must be maintained at 140°F or above.
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Freezers
Leave the freezer door closed. A full freezer should keep food safe
about two days -- a half-full freezer, about one day. Add bags of ice
or dry ice to the freezer if it appears the power will be off for an
extended time. You can safely re-freeze thawed foods that still contain
ice crystals and are 41°F or less.
Caution: the use of dry ice may result in the unsafe build-up of
carbon dioxide.
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Refrigerators
Food in refrigerators should be safe as long as the power is out no
more than about four to six hours. Leave the door closed; every time
you open it, needed cold air escapes, causing the foods inside to reach
unsafe temperatures. Discard any potentially hazardous food that has
been above 41°F for four hours or more, reached a temperature of
45°F or higher for any length of time, or has an unusual color, odor,
or texture.
When in doubt, throw it out!
If it appears the power will be off for more than six hours, ice, dry
ice, or frozen gel packs can be used to keep potentially hazardous foods
at 41° or below. Moving refrigerated food to a walk-in freezer or
obtaining a refrigerated truck are other options to keep food safe. Food
should not be transferred to private homes.
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What to Discard
The following are examples of foods that can be discarded or saved once
power is restored.
Discard
The following foods in refrigerators and freezers should be discarded
if kept over four hours at above 41°F, or if the temperature exceeds
45°F for any length of time.
- Meat, poultry, fish, eggs and egg substitutes - raw or cooked
- Milk, cream and soft cheese
- Casseroles, stews or soups
- Lunch meats and hot dogs
- Creamy-based foods made on-site
- Custard, chiffon, pumpkin or cheese pies
- Cream-filled pastries
- Cookie dough made with eggs
- Whipped Butter
- Cut Melons
- Cooked vegetables
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Save
The following foods may be kept at room temperature a few days although
food quality may be affected.
- Butter or margarine
- Hard and processed cheeses
- Fresh uncut fruits and vegetables
- Dried fruits and coconut
- Opened jars of vinegar-based salad dressings, jelly, relish, taco
sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, ketchup, olives and peanut butter
- Fruit juices
- Fresh herbs and spices
- Fruit pies, breads, rolls, and muffins
- Cakes, except cream cheese frosted or cream-filled
- Flour and nuts
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When Power is Restored
- Identify and discard potentially hazardous foods that may have been
above 41°F or below 140°F for four or more hours or above 45°F
for any length of time.
- Check the internal food temperatures using a food thermometer and
record the temperature.
- If practical, separate packages of food in refrigeration units and
freezers to allow for faster re-cooling.
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For questions about this page, please contact the Food, Beverage and Lodging
Program at health.foodlodging@state.mn.us or
651-201-4500.
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