MAHONING COUNTY, Ohio (WKBN) – The Mahoning County Health Department has shared information on food safety with the ongoing, widespread power outages in the Valley.

The department says during the outage to keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed to maintain cold temperatures.

If doors remain closed, items in the freezer should be safe for up to 48 hours, 24 hours if half-full. A fridge will keep food safe for four hours.

Once power is back on, check the temperature inside the appliance. The health department says you should never taste food to determine if it is safe.

Items like meat, soft cheeses, milk, opened baby formula, eggs and cooked or cut produce should be thrown out. If frozen prior, if there are ice crystals, you should be able to safely refreeze.

Foods like hard cheeses, fruit juices, most condiments, bread and raw produce should be safe for more than two hours above 40 degrees.