Dealing with your fridge after KC Evergy outage? Food safety tips, how to get money back
A thunderstorm on Friday left over 150,000 Kansas City residents without power at one point, with many people not getting power back until multiple days after the storm passed.
Evergy said on Tuesday that 2,000 residents are still without power, and they’re working to turn it back on as fast as possible.
The outage may have spoiled some of your refrigerated food if you didn’t regain power within the day. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a refrigerator should keep food cold for six hours and a half-freezer full for 24 hours, as long as you don’t open the doors. A full freezer should keep food cold for 48 hours.
WHAT FOODS DO I THROW AWAY?
The USDA said bacteria can grow in these foods if they’ve been above 40 degrees for two hours or more. Throw these foods out if you were without power for more than four hours:
Raw, cooked or leftover meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, yogurt, eggs, leftovers, hot dogs, bacon, lunch meats, pizza, shredded cheeses, casseroles, cut fruits and vegetables
Cream-based salad dressings, sauces and soups
Opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce and horseradish if they were stored in a place above 50 degrees for over eight hours
Bread or salad greens contaminated by juices dripping from raw meat, poultry or fish
Pasta, pasta sauces and pasta salads
Sour cream-based or any dairy-based dips
Fruits and vegetables that have become slimy or spoiled
Foodsafety.gov said that when in doubt, you should throw it out.
You can’t replace your food if it’s not reported within 10 days of the loss or if the form isn’t signed within 10 days.
Due to the power outage, Kansas City extended amnesty week to Friday, meaning residents can put out 10 trash bags without tags curbside to help get rid of things like spoiled food. You can also drop food off at the city’s new compost dropoffs.
Elsewhere around the Kansas City metro, you can take your storm debris to these drop-off sites to dispose of it.
WHAT FOOD CAN I KEEP?
Condiments like ketchup, mustard, jelly, barbecue sauce, soy sauce and bottled marinade, remember that jams and jellies can grow mold after three or four days, so throw out ones that show signs of mold.
Butter and margarine
Hard and processed cheese
Fresh herbs, spices, flour and nuts
Fresh bread and rolls
Whole fruits and vegetables with no signs of decay
How to get money back from spoiled food
Missouri residents who are eligible for SNAP benefits can apply for money to help replace food that went bad in their refrigerator or freezer if their power was out for more than four hours. Fill out this form with your information to apply for reimbursement.
According to Missouri’s Department of Insurance, some homeowners’ insurance policies may reimburse you for food lost to spoilage during a power outage. Check your specific policy to see if you are covered, or talk to your insurance agency to see if you can file a claim to get reimbursed for food.
The Kansas Insurance Department says that in addition to some homeowners’ insurance policies, some renters’ insurance policies may also cover food spoiled during a power outage.
HOW DO I GET RID OF THE REFRIGERATOR’S ODOR?
Here’s how you can get rid of that spoiled smell inside your refrigerator or freezer after the power is restored, according to tips from the USDA:
Throw away any and all spoiled or questionable food.
Take out all the shelves, drawers and ice trays and wash them with hot water and detergent. After that, clean with a sanitizing solution of one tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water.
Clean the inside of the refrigerator and freezer with hot water and baking soda. Rinse with a sanitizing solution.
Leave the door open for about 15 minutes.
If that doesn’t work, try these tips:
Clean the insides with equal parts of vinegar and water to get rid of mildew.
Leave the door open and air it out for multiple days.
Stuff refrigerators and freezers with newspapers and keep the door closed for several days. Remove the newspaper and clean it with vinegar and water.
Put fresh coffee grounds or baking soda in a large container at the bottom of each unit.
HOW DO I KEEP MY FOOD SAFE FOR THE NEXT POWER OUTAGE?
Your food is safe if the temperature is 40 degrees or below in either your refrigerator or freezer.
The USDA recommends you follow these tips to prevent your food from spoiling when the power goes out:
Try not to open the refrigerator and freezer doors.
Get ice or dry ice to keep foods cold if you know the power’s going to be out for a while. The USDA said 50 pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic-foot freezer for two days. Don’t put dry ice directly on top of your food or touch it with your bare hands.
Check the packages. If the food still has ice crystals or is at 40 degrees or below when you check it with a food thermometer, it’s good to use. You can refreeze it, but the quality may not be the same.
Group foods together in the freezer to help them stay cold longer.
Keep food on ice in coolers.
This story was originally published July 18, 2023 at 3:46 PM.
