Power Outage Food Safety
Slide to how long the power's been out, or look up a food: keep or toss, from the federal charts.
Rules from the USDA, charts from FoodSafety.gov. Free, and nothing you enter leaves this browser.
The rules
- Fridge: keeps food safe for about 4 hours if you keep the door closed. After 4 hours without power, throw out refrigerated perishables such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers.
- Freezer: a full freezer holds a safe temperature for about 48 hours, a half-full one about 24 hours, if the door stays closed.
- Refreezing: food that still has ice crystals or is at 40°F or below can be refrozen, though quality may suffer.
- Keep it cold: if the power will be out more than 4 hours, move food to coolers with ice. Dry ice or block ice keeps a fridge or freezer cold longer.
- Know the temperature: keep appliance thermometers in the fridge and freezer; one shows the temperature however long the power has been out. Never taste food to decide whether it's safe. When in doubt, throw it out.
What to keep and what to throw out
Refrigerated food held above 40°F for more than 2 hours
| Food | Keep or discard |
|---|---|
| Meat, poultry, seafood | |
| Raw or leftover cooked meat, poultry, fish or seafood; soy meat substitutes | Discard |
| Thawing meat or poultry | Discard |
| Meat, tuna, shrimp, chicken or egg salad | Discard |
| Gravy, stuffing, broth | Discard |
| Lunchmeats, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, dried beef | Discard |
| Pizza with any topping | Discard |
| Canned hams labeled "Keep Refrigerated" | Discard |
| Canned meats and fish, opened | Discard |
| Casseroles, soups, stews | Discard |
| Cheese | |
| Soft cheeses: blue, Roquefort, Brie, Camembert, cottage, cream, Edam, Monterey Jack, ricotta, mozzarella, Muenster, Neufchatel, queso blanco, queso fresco | Discard |
| Hard cheeses: Cheddar, Colby, Swiss, Parmesan, provolone, Romano | Keep |
| Processed cheeses | Keep |
| Shredded cheeses | Discard |
| Low-fat cheeses | Discard |
| Grated Parmesan, Romano or a blend (in a can or jar) | Keep |
| Dairy | |
| Milk, cream, sour cream, buttermilk, evaporated milk, yogurt, eggnog, soy milk | Discard |
| Butter, margarine | Keep |
| Baby formula, opened | Discard |
| Eggs | |
| Fresh shell eggs, eggs hard-cooked in the shell, egg dishes, egg products | Discard |
| Custards and puddings, quiche | Discard |
| Fruits | |
| Fresh fruits, cut | Discard |
| Fresh fruits, uncut | Keep |
| Fruit juices, opened | Keep |
| Canned fruits, opened | Keep |
| Dried fruits, raisins, candied fruits, dates | Keep |
| Sliced or shredded coconut | Discard |
| Sauces, spreads, jams | |
| Opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce, horseradish | Discard if above 50°F for more than 8 hours |
| Peanut butter | Keep |
| Jelly, relish, taco sauce, mustard, ketchup, olives, pickles | Keep |
| Worcestershire, soy, barbecue, hoisin sauces | Keep |
| Fish sauces, oyster sauce | Discard |
| Opened vinegar-based dressings | Keep |
| Opened creamy dressings | Discard |
| Spaghetti sauce, opened | Discard |
| Bread, cakes, cookies, pasta, grains | |
| Bread, rolls, cakes, muffins, quick breads, tortillas | Keep |
| Refrigerator biscuits, rolls, cookie dough | Discard |
| Cooked pasta, rice, potatoes | Discard |
| Pasta salads with mayonnaise or vinaigrette | Discard |
| Fresh pasta | Discard |
| Cheesecake | Discard |
| Breakfast foods: waffles, pancakes, bagels | Keep |
| Pies and pastry | |
| Cream-filled pastries | Discard |
| Pies with a filling containing eggs or milk (custard, cheese-filled, chiffon); quiche | Discard |
| Fruit pies | Keep |
| Vegetables | |
| Fresh vegetables, cut | Discard |
| Fresh vegetables, uncut | Keep |
| Fresh mushrooms, herbs, spices | Keep |
| Greens, pre-cut, pre-washed, packaged | Discard |
| Vegetables, cooked | Discard |
| Tofu, cooked | Discard |
| Vegetable juice, opened | Discard |
| Baked potatoes | Discard |
| Commercial garlic in oil | Discard |
| Potato salad | Discard |
| Casseroles, soups, stews | Discard |
Frozen food
| Food | Still has ice crystals, feels refrigerator-cold | Above 40°F for more than 2 hours |
|---|---|---|
| Meat, poultry, seafood | ||
| Meat, poultry, seafood: all types of cuts | Refreeze | Discard |
| Stews, soups | Refreeze | Discard |
| Dairy | ||
| Milk refrozen: some loss of texture | Refreeze | Discard |
| Eggs (out of shell) and egg products | Refreeze | Discard |
| Ice cream, frozen yogurt | Discard | Discard |
| Cheese (soft and semi-soft) refrozen: some loss of texture | Refreeze | Discard |
| Hard cheeses | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Shredded cheeses | Refreeze | Discard |
| Cheesecake | Refreeze | Discard |
| Fruits | ||
| Juices discard if mold, a yeasty smell or sliminess develops | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Home or commercially packaged refrozen: texture and flavor will change; discard if mold, a yeasty smell or sliminess develops | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Vegetables | ||
| Juices | Refreeze | Discard after 6 hours above 40°F |
| Home or commercially packaged or blanched refrozen: may lose texture and flavor | Refreeze | Discard after 6 hours above 40°F |
| Breads and pastries | ||
| Breads, rolls, muffins, cakes (without custard fillings) | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Cakes, pies, pastries with custard or cheese filling | Refreeze | Discard |
| Pie crusts, commercial and homemade bread dough some quality loss when refrozen; considerable if it warmed above 40°F | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Other foods | ||
| Casseroles: pasta or rice-based | Refreeze | Discard |
| Flour, cornmeal, nuts | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Breakfast items: waffles, pancakes, bagels | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Frozen meals, entrees, specialty items (pizza, sausage and biscuit, meat pie, convenience foods) | Refreeze | Discard |
Charts: FoodSafety.gov, Food safety during a power outage (last reviewed by FoodSafety.gov August 8, 2024).
Getting lost food replaced
- SNAP: federal rules require states to replace food bought with SNAP benefits that was destroyed in a household misfortune, if you report the loss to your state within 10 days, up to one month's benefits. You'll have to sign a statement of the loss, and it must reach the state within 10 days of your report. Ask your state SNAP office right away whether a power outage qualifies.
- Insurance: check whether your renters or homeowners policy covers food spoilage before you throw food out, and photograph what you discard.
Food safety FAQ
- How long does food last in the fridge without power?
- About 4 hours if you keep the door closed, according to USDA. After 4 hours without power, throw out refrigerated perishables such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers.
- How long will a freezer stay cold without power?
- About 48 hours if it's full and about 24 hours if it's half full, as long as the door stays closed. Food that still has ice crystals or is at 40°F or below can be refrozen, though the quality may suffer.
- Can I taste food to see if it's still good?
- No. FoodSafety.gov says never taste food to decide whether it's safe. Check each item against the chart, use an appliance thermometer, and when in doubt, throw it out.
- Will SNAP replace food I lost in a power outage?
- Federal rules require states to replace SNAP food destroyed in a household misfortune if you report the loss within 10 days, up to one month's benefits, and you have to sign a statement of the loss. Ask your state SNAP office right away whether a power outage qualifies.
More of the power outage kit
Shopping? See our rankings of portable generators, portable solar generators and chest freezers.
How we built this
Every fact on this page comes from the sources listed below, read on . Where an organization doesn't publish a clear answer, we say so and tell you where to look instead of guessing.
- USDA FSIS: Keeping food safe during an emergency
- FoodSafety.gov: Food safety during a power outage
- 7 CFR 274.6, Replacement issuances (Cornell LII)
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