Power-outage food safety
Food Safety During a Power Outage
A closed refrigerator keeps food safe for about 4 hours. After that, evaluate refrigerated perishables using time and temperature, not smell or taste.
Official decision table
| Food or condition | Action or period | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Closed refrigerator | Up to 4 hours | Keep the door closed |
| Perishable food above 40°F | More than 2 hours | Discard |
| Full closed freezer | About 48 hours | Check for ice crystals or 40°F or below |
| Half-full closed freezer | About 24 hours | Check each item |
How to make the decision
Never taste food to decide whether it is safe after an outage. Time, measured temperature, ice crystals, and the official item chart control the decision.
When a package provides stricter storage or discard instructions, use the package. People at higher risk from foodborne illness should be especially conservative with refrigerated perishables.
What to do now
- Record how long the refrigerator, freezer, or package was outside its intended temperature range.
- Use a food or appliance thermometer when a temperature reading is available.
- Apply the exact row above instead of relying on smell, appearance, or a taste test.
- When the time or temperature is unknown, choose the safer action.
Check the underlying storage record
Use the complete FoodKeeper database for normal pantry, refrigerator, freezer, after-opening, and after-thawing periods.
Primary source
FoodSafety.gov Food Safety During a Power Outage. ShelfDate has reorganized the applicable rows for readability without replacing the official decision criteria.