How to prep your refrigerator for a power outage

LOS ANGELES - You don’t want all your food to spoil the next time there’s a power outage. Be prepared before the electricity goes out with these tips from the USDA and foodsafety.gov.

Keep appliance thermometers in your refrigerator and freezer. That way you won’t have to guess if your food is still safe to eat. Safe temperatures are 40 °F or lower in the refrigerator and 0°F or lower in the freezer.

Break out the coolers-- or turn your refrigerator into one. Freeze water in one-quart plastic storage bags or small containers, which will help keep your food cold. You can also use a block of ice, or dry ice.

Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry to help keep them at a safe temperature longer.

Group foods together in the freezer. They’ll insulate each other and stay colder.

Stock up on ready-to-eat foods. Be sure to have a few days’ of foods that do not require cooking or cooling.

Losing your power during an outage doesn’t have to mean losing all your food, too.