Food Safety after the Storm

If you are one of the 76,500 customers still without power, it is past time for your perishables. Food in the refrigerator is safe if the power has been off for no more than four hours. After that, discard perishables such as meat, poultry, soft cheese, eggs and leftovers. Check out www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/keeping_food_Safe_during_an_emergency/index.asp
for more details and a chart. A full freezer can keep food frozen for 48 hours after a loss of power. A half-full freezer can keep food frozen for 24 hours.