How to Keep Food Safe During Power Outages
Swedish food safety officials provide essential tips for handling refrigerator contents during power outages. Learn which foods to keep and which to discard when electricity fails. Simple preparations can prevent food waste and illness.
What can you safely eat from your refrigerator after a power outage? Which items should you throw away? The Swedish Food Agency now offers guidance on handling food during electricity disruptions.
The agency provides recommendations for managing refrigerator contents before, during and after power failures. First, maintain proper cold temperatures around 4°C (39°F). This slows bacterial growth for several extra hours.
Use a battery-powered refrigerator thermometer to monitor temperatures. Freeze ice packs or plastic water bottles in advance for emergency cooling.
When the power goes out, note the exact time. This helps track how long your refrigerator has been without electricity. Avoid unnecessary door openings to preserve cold air.
Power outages can occur unexpectedly across Sweden, particularly during winter storms. The advice applies to households throughout the Nordic region where extreme weather sometimes disrupts electricity supplies.
Food safety officials emphasize that proper preparation prevents waste and illness. Their straightforward recommendations reflect practical Nordic approaches to household emergencies.
Refrigerated food typically remains safe for about four hours without power. Frozen food lasts 24-48 hours in a full freezer. Discard perishables that reach temperatures above 4°C for over two hours.
This guidance comes as climate changes bring more extreme weather to Northern Europe. Households face increasing risks of power disruptions during severe conditions.