In Jamaica, a power cut can last a few hours or, after a bad storm, several days. When the refrigerator goes quiet, the big question is always the same: what is still safe to eat? The food-safety rules are simple, and they are not based on how food smells or tastes. This guide uses advice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to help you decide quickly, protect your family and avoid wasting food that is perfectly fine.
The golden rules
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Every opening lets cold air out.
- A refrigerator keeps food safe for up to four hours without power.
- A full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours, and a half-full freezer for about 24 hours.
- Never taste food to decide if it is safe. When in doubt, throw it out.
For reference, FSIS says a refrigerator should be at 40°F (about 4°C) or below and a freezer at 0°F (about -18°C) or below.
Before the power goes out
If a storm or planned outage is coming:
- Keep an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer so you can check the actual temperature afterwards.
- Group foods together in the freezer so they stay cold longer.
- Keep the freezer full. Fill gaps with bags of ice or frozen water bottles.
- Freeze items you will not need right away, such as leftovers, milk, fresh meat and poultry.
- Have a cooler and ice or frozen gel packs ready, and know where you can buy block ice.
During the outage
- If the power is out longer than four hours, move perishable food into a cooler packed with ice. Make sure there is enough ice to keep it at 40°F or below, and add more as it melts.
- In freezers, food at the front, in the door or in small, thin packages thaws faster than large items at the back or bottom.
- Eat the most perishable items first.
What to throw away after four hours without refrigeration
FSIS says to discard the following if the refrigerator has been without power for more than four hours:
- raw, cooked or leftover meat, poultry and fish, and eggs,
- luncheon meat and hot dogs,
- casseroles, soups and stews,
- mixed salads such as chicken, tuna, macaroni or potato salad,
- gravy and stuffing,
- milk, cream, yogurt, sour cream and soft cheeses,
- cut fresh fruit and vegetables, and cooked vegetables,
- opened fruit and vegetable juices,
- batters and doughs, and custard or cream-filled pastries,
- garlic stored in oil.
Also discard any food that has an unusual odor, colour or texture, and any food that may have been contaminated by juices from raw meat.
What is usually safe to keep
FSIS lists foods that do not actually require refrigeration and may be used unless they turn mouldy or smell strange:
- whole fresh fruits and vegetables,
- unopened fruit and vegetable juices,
- dried fruits and coconut,
- baked goods such as bread, rolls and fruit pies (except those with cream cheese frosting or cream fillings),
- hard and processed cheeses,
- butter and margarine,
- fresh herbs and spices,
- flour and nuts.
High-acid foods such as mustard, ketchup, relishes, pickles and jams are generally safe as well, though they may spoil sooner. Opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce and horseradish should be discarded if they were held above 50°F (10°C) for more than eight hours.
What about the freezer?
After the power returns, check frozen food:
- Food that still contains ice crystals can be safely refrozen, though quality may suffer.
- Food that stayed at 40°F or below can also be refrozen.
- Discard thawed perishable food that has been above 40°F for too long, and do not rely on appearance.
Rice, flour, sugar and canned goods
The shelf-stable items in your pantry, such as rice, flour, sugar, cooking oil and sealed canned goods, do not need refrigeration. FSIS lists rice, pasta, flour, sugar, spices, oils and canned goods as shelf-stable foods, best stored in a cool, dry place. That is why a well-stocked pantry makes outages far less stressful: you can still cook a meal on a gas ring or outdoor stove even when the freezer has failed. If you want to learn how to keep staples in good condition in our climate, read how to store rice, flour, sugar and cornmeal in Jamaica's heat.
After flooding
If food or its packaging touched floodwater, FSIS advises discarding anything not in a waterproof container, including food in screw-cap bottles, snap lids, pull tops and cardboard boxes. Undamaged commercially canned food can be saved if you remove the labels, wash the cans with soap and safe water, and sanitize them by boiling for two minutes or soaking in a solution of one tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water for 15 minutes. Then dry, relabel and use them soon. Discard cans that are swollen, leaking, punctured or deeply rusted or dented.
If a refrigerator or freezer was submerged, even partially, FSIS says it is unsafe and must be discarded.
Cleaning the refrigerator after a spoilage
If food spoiled, wash shelves and drawers with hot water and detergent, then rinse with a sanitizing solution of one tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water. Wipe the inside with hot water and baking soda. If an odor remains, leave the door open to air out, or wipe with equal parts vinegar and water.
A short outage checklist
- Doors closed. Note the time the power went off.
- Under four hours: usually fine. Over four hours: move perishables to ice or discard.
- Check the thermometer when power returns.
- Keep staples sealed and dry.
- When in doubt, throw it out.
Visit Jacan Foods
Jacan Food Distributors at 5C Northern Parkway, Albion Estate, St. Thomas, stocks pantry staples such as rice, flour and cooking oil, along with bulk meats. Call (876) 363-8322 or (876) 706-1322 for current availability. This guide is general food-safety information, not medical advice.
Source
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, "Keep Your Food Safe During Emergencies: Power Outages, Floods and Fires": https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/emergencies/keep-your-food-safe-during-emergencies
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, "Shelf-Stable Food Safety": https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/shelf-stable-food