Here’s when you need to throw out food after a power outage

MISSOURI, USA — After the widespread damage caused by Friday night’s storm, 130,000 customers were without power, leaving many households scrambling to protect their food from spoilage. With outages stretching into the weekend, Ameren is urging those affected to take precautions to safeguard their perishable items.

If you were impacted by the power outage, here are some food safety tip reminders by Ameren: 

• Ameren advises residents to keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain a safe temperature. 
• A full freezer will stay cold for up to 48 hours, while a half-full freezer will only maintain a safe temperature for about 24 hours.
• Ameren says if in doubt, throw the food out. 
• To avoid foodborne illness, focus on keeping meat, seafood, and dairy products cold. If the power is out for an extended period and temperatures inside the fridge or freezer exceed 40°F for more than two hours, Ameren strongly recommends that residents discard all perishable items.
• In cases where power outages persist, using coolers to store frozen items may help protect food until power is restored. 
• Keep in mind that spoiled food may look and smell fine but can still pose a significant health risk.

Once power is back on, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises people to check the temperature of their freezers. Check your freezer thermometer and make sure it reads 40 degrees before refreezing or eating. 

Meat, poultry, seafood, milk, and eggs not kept in adequate temperatures may cause illness if consumed, even when cooked, the FDA said. 

For guidelines on specific foods, click here.