Lost Power? Here's What to Do First to Protect Your Health

Večernji List provides essential guidance for Croatian households on how to manage power outages and safeguard food supplies. The article highlights the critical importance of understanding food safety during such disruptions, especially concerning the "danger zone" temperatures where harmful bacteria thrive. We emphasize that proactive measures, such as regularly checking refrigerator temperatures and ensuring freezers are well-stocked and organized, can significantly mitigate risks. During an outage, the advice is clear: keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. A full freezer can maintain cold temperatures for up to 48 hours, while a refrigerator offers about four hours. We also stress the need to assess food safety once power is restored, advising readers to discard perishable items that have been in the danger zone for extended periods, even if they appear normal. For prolonged outages, maintaining a non-perishable food supply is recommended. This practical advice underscores our commitment to providing readers with information that directly impacts their daily lives and well-being, particularly in unpredictable circumstances.

“

A closed refrigerator can maintain a safe temperature for approximately four hours, while a freezer, if full, can retain cold for up to 48 hours.