As winter storms sweep across the country and power outages become a grim reality for many, it's essential to know how to keep food safe when the lights go out. According to a recent post by Fox San Antonio, there are several key steps people can take to prevent food spoilage and protect themselves from foodborne illnesses.

One of the most critical actions to conserve the chill is keeping the refrigerator and freezer doors shut. A closed refrigerator will maintain a cool temperature for approximately four hours, while a full freezer can hold its temperature for about 48 hours, or 24 hours if it's only half-full. Beyond time-sensitive steps, it’s also recommended to transfer perishables to insulated coolers with ice packs or frozen gel packs to keep items chilled longer and to seal opened packages tightly to prevent exposure to warm air, as reported by Fox San Antonio.

BioSpace advises that when power is restored, it's essential to check the temperatures inside your refrigerator and freezer before consuming any food. Any perishable foods with temperatures at or below 45°F may be safe but should be consumed quickly. However, any perishable food that has experienced temperatures above 40°F for four hours or more should be discarded to avoid the risk of food poisoning, even if thoroughly cooked later.