The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning regarding food safety following power outages. According to the WHO, foods exposed to temperatures above 5 °C (41 °F) for over two hours can become unsafe to eat.

This advisory was released on Friday through a series of messages on X.com, marking the 2024 World Food Safety Day. The theme for this year is “Food safety: prepare for the unexpected.” Celebrated annually on June 7, World Food Safety Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018 to raise awareness and promote efforts to prevent, detect, and address public health risks associated with unsafe food.

“If there has been a power outage in your area, refrigerated or frozen food may not be safe to eat,” the WHO stated. “Products can become unsafe if they have been exposed to temperatures above 5 °C for more than two hours.”

The WHO advises the following precautions after a four-hour power cut:

• Discard all perishable foods in your fridge, such as meat, poultry, fish, and leftovers.
• Discard all items in your freezer once they have thawed or cook them immediately if they have been exposed to ambient temperature for more than two hours.
• Never taste food to determine its safety. When in doubt, throw it out.

For those living in areas prone to power outages, the WHO recommends keeping a supply of pre-packaged, ready-to-eat, and canned foods, as well as bottled water. “In case you live in areas prone to power outages, always keep a stock of pre-packaged, ready-to-eat and canned food, as well as bottled water for emergency situations. Undamaged canned goods and commercial glass jars of food are likely to be safe,” the WHO advised. “However, containers should be sanitized before opening. Discard canned foods with broken seams, serious dents, or leaks, and jars with damaged seals.”