KITCHEN · FOOD SAFETY
Food After a Power Outage
If a power outage or a broken refrigerator let the temperature rise, enter whether it was the refrigerator or the freezer, how long it lasted, whether the door was opened and the temperature. The tool says food by food whether to throw it out or refreeze it, and leans toward throwing it out when it is unsure.
Check your food
Example
A refrigerator with the door kept closed through a 3-hour outage is treated as having stayed cold, so the food stays. After a 6-hour outage, meat and milk come out as “Throw it out”, while hard cheese comes out as “Can be kept”. If both the length of the outage and the temperature are unknown, perishable food comes out as “Cannot confirm it is safe”, and throwing it out is the safe choice.
The rules: 40 °F, 2 hours, 4 hours in the fridge, 24–48 in the freezer
FoodSafety.gov and USDA decide food by food based on whether it was above 4 °C (40 °F) for more than 2 hours. A refrigerator with the door closed holds for up to 4 hours, a full freezer for about 48 hours and a half-full freezer for about 24 hours.
- Perishable food such as meat, fish, eggs, milk and cooked leftovers is thrown out once the limit is passed.
- Hard cheese, butter, whole fruit and vegetables, bread, and sauces such as ketchup and jam do not need refrigeration, so they can be kept. Throw them out if they grow mold or smell off.
- Frozen food can be refrozen if ice crystals remain or it is at 4 °C or below. Ice cream is the exception: throw it out.
During the outage
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed, and write down when the power went out.
- If the outage drags on, move perishable food to a cooler packed with ice or frozen gel packs and keep it at 4 °C or below.
- A thermometer kept inside lets you judge by the temperature when the power returns. A reading taken after it has cooled again says nothing about the outage.
Limits of this tool
Foods that are not on the list are not judged. The result does not guarantee that food is safe, and it does not say how long food keeps in general.
Frequently asked questions
How long is food in the refrigerator safe during a power outage?
USDA says a refrigerator keeps food safe for up to about 4 hours if the door stays closed. After that, throw out perishable food such as meat, fish, eggs, milk and leftovers. Opening the door lets it warm up sooner.
How long does a freezer hold its temperature?
With the door closed, a full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours and a half-full freezer for about 24 hours. Food at the front, near the door or in thin packages thaws before large, thick items.
Can I refreeze thawed meat?
If ice crystals remain or the food is at 4 °C (40 °F) or below, it can be refrozen, though taste and texture may suffer. If it thawed completely and was above 4 °C for more than 2 hours, throw it out.
Can I eat the food if it smells fine?
No. Bacteria that cause food poisoning may not change the smell or taste. USDA advises against tasting food to check it, and says that when in doubt, you should throw it out.
When should I ignore the result?
Throw everything out if the refrigerator was under floodwater, and throw out any food that touched juices from raw meat. Be more cautious with food for infants, pregnant people, older adults and anyone with a weak immune system. For them the tool recommends throwing food out when the temperature cannot be confirmed.
More tools
Sources and last updated
- FoodSafety.gov, Food Safety During Power Outage (food chart, checked 2026-10-22).
- USDA FSIS, Keep Your Food Safe During Emergencies (checked 2026-10-22).
- The two sources disagree on opened fruit juice; the tool follows the more cautious one. Temperatures are shown in °C, with the original °F in brackets where it matters.
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