Warm Fridge and Bad Food

When servicing warm refrigerators, customers often ask me whether the food is good or not. My advice is always to err on the side of caution.

If your fridge has been above 40 deg for any longer than a couple of hours then I would begin to throw some stuff out. Certainly any dairy, egg, mayo and milk products. Condiments such as ketchup, mustard, pickles, etc. will usually be Ok for a while in a warm environment. Basically anything that you would not keep out on the counter for a day should be thrown out.

On the freezer side, I say that if the product is anything but rock hard, either cook it (then refreeze it) or throw it out. This applies especially to any chicken our poultry products. If things stayed hard, then don’t worry about them – they should be good. Breads, concentrated juice cans and the like can become a bit soft and be refrozen without any problems.

Finally, if the power is out or if your fridge is not working – LEAVE THE DOORS SHUT!!! Every time your ‘check the fridge’ to see if it is still cold you warm it even more. Every time the door is opened, all the cold air literally falls out of the fridge and is replaced with warm air from the room. When the power is out, don’t even check the fridge – believe me, the power is out in it as well. Just leave it till the power comes back on, and then check your food to see how warm it got.

A chest freezer will stay frozen if full of food for up to 2 days with out running. Again, don’t open it – just let it be till the power comes back on.

Finally, if you have any doubt – throw it out. It’s just not worth getting sick over.