Is your refrigerator running? If so, better go catch it.
That was a joke from the 1930s as kids crank-called on the phone. ("Do you have Prince Albert in a can? Better let him out," was another.)
It's not so funny if your electricity is off — and also your refrigerator.
Whether you faced that dilemma with the recent storms or want to be prepared for future ones this summer, keep these federal safety guidelines in mind:
It could take as little as four hours for some of the food in your refrigerator to go bad if the power goes off.
The temperature to keep in mind is 40 degrees. Anything perishable — such as raw meat, cooked foods or soft cheeses — that's been warmer than that for more than two hours should be discarded because bacteria grow in temperatures from 40 to 140 degrees.
"We want to be sure people don't needlessly put themselves at risk," said Craig Hedberg, a professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. "The problem is that big storms in the summer are often accompanied by hot weather, and it puts more stress on the whole system."
Fresh produce generally can be saved, though prewashed packaged greens should be discarded, as should anything that's been in contact with raw meat juices. Do not gauge the safety of food by its taste or smell. Time and temperature are the guidelines to follow.
