Food after power cut

[Plannergirl9]

We had a power cut for 3 hours last night. The fridge door was kept closed so was the freezer.

I checked the freezer once the power came back on and most food seemed ok and still frozen. The same with the fridge still cold.

However I think I need to throw away any food which will be eaten uncooked like cooked lunch meat, soft cheese and ice cream as it could be unsafe to eat. DH disagrees as he thinks it will be fine.

This is the first power cut I can remember since I was still living at home so I'm not sure.

Aibu to think better safe than sorry?

So not to drip feed - I have a depressed immune system and need to be extra careful about bugs and germs.

It was only 3 hours with the door shut so everything should be ok. Maybe use everything before its best before date if you are really worried but I wouldn't throw stuff away right now

In my opinion, it will be fine. The fridge and freezer will have stayed cold for a good while after the power turned off.

Check the ice cream as you will be able to see if it melted and refroze

For such a short time and with doors staying shut I wouldn’t worry at all

It'll be fine. Assuming you're in the UK, the air temp is pretty low. If you didn't open the door, the temperature within the fridge / freezer would barely have moved in 3 hours as they're well insulated.

Provided you didnt open the door, a freezer will last aroudn 16 hours before starting to thaw.

Fridge is 2 hours for perishables like soft cheese. ludicrous

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/problems-with-your-energy-supply/get-compensation-if-you-have-a-power-cut/

it will be fine when you go to a party where theres a buffet 3 hours at room tempereture is considered safe

It's fine. It was 3 hours!!!

It'll be fine!

It's completely fine. You could leave your stuff out for 2 hours anyway and it would be totally fine

It'll be fine. For future reference, if you can be bothered to take preventive action, here is a technique for seeing how much thawing has taken place in a freezer. I learned this from someone who lives where there are frequent power cuts.

Fill a clear plastic bottle (e.g. 500ml drinks bottle) half full of water. Stand it upright and freeze it. Now lay it on its side in the freezer and leave it there like that. If any melting and refreezing has happened, you'll be able to see how bad it was by the position of the ice in the bottle.

I grew up - at least in the early part of my life - in a time before the average family had fridges and freezers. Meat and cheese was not bought daily and was kept in a 'meat safe' in a cold cupboard. There was no such thing as sell by/best before dates. We somehow managed to survive and avoid food poisoning .

The stuff in the freezer will definitely not be affected at all by a 3 hour power cut as it's unlikely to have even started to thaw after that time. The stuff in the fridge should be absolutely fine too.

If you look in your instruction booklet that came with your fridge/freezer it should give you advice about how much the food will be affected in the event of a power cut.

chef here - if that reassures you.

What part of the world are you in? If you're in the UK, you're daft to even consider this (and I mean that nicely).
If you're somewhere where it was 25+ degrees, then I would err on the side of caution and chuck the soft cheese (or just feed it to Dh and not have any yourself) but everything else is fine.

If it had happened when you were sleeping you wouldn't have any knowledge of it.

Of course it's fine.

What ever happened to common sense?

I saw a thing where you freeze a small yoghurt pot full of water then when its solid put a coin on it. If freezer thaws and refreezes e.g. when youre on holiday ,coin will be at bottom of ice

It will be fine. Promise 👍

Can you organise for your DH & other household members to eat it & not you? None of us know how weak your immune system is.

Wouldn't worry me in slightest, but I don't have any immune system issues.