AboutCarol Schlitt Expertise I can answer questions on home food safety, sanitation, home food preservation and commercial food safety (HACCP).
Experience I am an Extension educator, nutrition, wellness and food safety. I am a certified HACCP manager and a food safety instructor for the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Organizations International Association for Food Protection, American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (Certified CFCS), National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, Society for Nutrition Education.
Education/Credentials BS - University of Illinois
MS - Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
Question My freezer quite working last night. I took the meat and put it in the fridge which was still working at the time. I cooked all of the veggies (which were still frozen at the time) and throw out the rest (ice cream,pizza, rolls). When i woke up some 8 hours later, i discovered the fridge is now not working. The meat is cold, but not frozen, and most drinks are hardly cold.
What if anything could i save? Are the veggies still good that i cooked last night? What about the meat? Eggs? cooked meat
Answer Hi Keeley,
If the refrigerator was holding food under 40 degrees when you discovered the food, then you could transfer the food to another refrigerator. If it was warmer than 40 degrees, then your potentially hazardous foods (meat, cooked vegetables, cooked meat) would have a 2 hour window of safety. After that, the recommendation would be to throw it out.
There is no way to know if your food is safe without doing expensive laboratory tests. So, knowing that the potential for food borne illness is possible, the recommendation is to throw it out.
Sorry....
Carol C. Schlitt
Extension Educator, Nutrition and Wellness
University of Illinois Extension
