During severe weather, millions of people can lose power and thousands of pounds of food can spoil.
Even if you follow the golden rules of keeping your food safe, like keeping your refrigerator door closed and placing your perishable items in the freezer, some foods simply may not be worth saving after a power outage of 24 hours or more.
If you’re going through your fridge over the next few days, we’ve got you covered.
Here’s a list of what food you can keep and what should be thrown out after a power outage:
Tip: Discard any perishable food, including meat, poultry and seafood, that has been above 40 degrees F for more than 2 hours.
What to throw out:
Eggs
Cheese
Yogurt
Sour cream
Cut fruit
Condiments
Biscuits
What to keep:
Butter
Margarine
Fruit juice
Canned fruits
Whole fruits
Jams
Pickles
Vinegar-based dressings
Soy sauce
Mustard
Olives
Ketchup
Bread
Muffins
Tortillas
Waffles
Pancakes
Raw vegetables
Fruit pies
Herbs
Read more about food safety here.