Freezer full – no electricity

Freezer berryFrozen berries from the freezer. Photo: Pixabay.com

The freezer is full – no electric power

Have you ever come home to spoiled food due to a power outage? Even though the food from the freezer can’t be saved, you may get the value of the lost beef back.

 

According to figures from Finans Norge (Finance Norway), NOK 30 million was reimbursed for spoiled food in the freezer last year. Codan Insurance believes the amount could have been larger.

– I think many people forget to think that the insurance actually covers lost food in freezers and refrigerators. And then there’s one thing to remember before throwing away the food, Georg Richvoldsen says:

Take a picture

Norwegian insurance company receives over 6,000 cases of spoiled food in the freezer or refrigerator a year. Richvoldsen encourages taking a picture of the food before it ends up in the garbage.

– If you remember to take pictures of the food you are going to report as damaged, you have documented the claim in a good way, Richvoldsen encourages.

Meat, Mullon berries & Seafood

Codan Forsikring finds that meat products and mullon berries are food that is often reported as spoiled.

– In a specific case, an unfortunate customer lost king crabs and lobster worth NOK 30,000 due to a power outage, Richvoldsen reminiscent.

He says that the biggest compensation payment for spoiled food was NOK 100,000.

Can the foodstuffs be salvaged?

According to the Directorate for Social Security and Preparedness (DSB), you should be careful with food that has been in the freezer without power for more than six hours.

If the foods are half-thawed, they can be frozen again. The foods that are completely thawed must be treated as fresh produce. Either use the items right away or prepare them by boiling or frying before freezing them again.

If the power failure is notified in advance, you can isolate the freezer by wrapping it in newspapers, blankets, quilts or the like, according to DSB.

Check the insurance

Damage to foods in the freezer and refrigerator is often covered by home insurance.

– Such damage can be caused by fire or lightning strikes or by power failure for other reasons, Richvoldsen explains, who urges people to check what the insurance terms state about food in the freezer.

 

© Codan / #Norway Today