Power outage food safety checker
Power outage food safety checker
Use outage hours and door status as estimates. Check the temperature and exact food row in the official chart before keeping or refreezing food; hours alone cannot establish safety.
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An estimate for an initially cold, closed refrigerator. FoodSafety.gov gives discard guidance from 4 hours without power/cold control; use the exact food row.
Keep the door shut. Check the actual temperature and specific frozen-food row before refreezing; ice cream and frozen yogurt are exceptions.
Check actual food temperature or ice crystals and the food-specific chart row; the clock does not measure warm exposure.
Check discard guidance for these perishables
- Raw or cooked meat, poultry, and seafood.
- Milk, soft cheeses, yogurt, eggs, and opened dairy.
- Cooked leftovers, soups, rice, pasta, casseroles, and gravy.
- Cut fruit, cut vegetables, leafy greens, and prepared salads.
Lower-risk foods still need judgment
- Hard cheeses, butter, whole fruit, and uncut vegetables may be lower risk.
- Vinegar-based condiments, mustard, ketchup, and pickles often keep better than meat or dairy.
- Use the exact food-specific row and package instructions. Normal appearance or smell cannot prove safety.
When power returns
Check appliance thermometers before moving food. For frozen food, use ice crystals or a temperature at or below 40°F (4°C) only with the specific food-chart row. Ice cream and frozen yogurt have a discard row; do not apply the general refreezing rule to them. Outage hours alone do not measure warm exposure. Never taste food to decide.
For more background, read the power outage fridge guide, the danger zone guide, and the refreezing decision tree.
Power outage questions
How long does a refrigerator stay cold during a power outage?
FoodSafety.gov guidance is about 4 hours if the refrigerator door stays closed.
How long does a freezer stay cold without power?
An initially cold, full closed freezer holds temperature for about 48 hours; a half-full closed freezer about 24 hours. These are estimates, not measurements of an individual food.
Can frozen food be refrozen after a power outage?
Use the exact frozen-food row in the FoodSafety.gov chart. Ice crystals or 40°F (4°C) or below permit refreezing only where the food row allows it. Ice cream and frozen yogurt have a discard row. Outage hours alone do not establish temperature history.
Sources: FoodSafety.gov and USDA FSIS. Source comparison by the FoodLasts Editorial Team 2026-10-26; not credentialed expert review.