Power-outage food safety
Which Condiments Are Safe After a Power Outage?
Many acidic or high-sugar condiments can be kept, but creamy dressings, opened spaghetti sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce should be discarded after unsafe warm exposure.
Official decision table
| Food or condition | Action or period | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Ketchup, mustard, relish, pickles, jelly | Keep | FoodSafety.gov chart |
| Soy, barbecue, Worcestershire, hoisin sauce | Keep | FoodSafety.gov chart |
| Creamy dressing | Discard | After more than 2 hours above 40°F |
| Opened spaghetti, fish, or oyster sauce | Discard | After more than 2 hours above 40°F |
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.