COUNTY OF MONTEREY
HEALTH
DEPARTMENT
Nationally Accredited for Providing Quality Health Services
Power Outage Guidelines for Food Safety at Retail Establishments During Temporary Power Outages
Published on November 10, 2016. Last modified on June 17, 2024
The California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch developed a guidance document for the retail food industry on what to do before, during and immediately after a power outage. The focus is on the action steps to take for potentially hazardous foods (PHF), which are those foods that can support the rapid growth of microorganisms at temperatures between 41°F and 135°F. Your local environmental health agency is primarily responsible for enforcing the current California Retail Food Code (CalCode) and may have additional information for your specific situation.
See the full document here: Food Safety During Temporary Power Outages