# Power outage food safety: how long your fridge and freezer keep food safe, and what to throw out

When the power goes out, the clock starts on everything in your fridge. A closed door buys you more time than you might think, and a cheap thermometer settles most of the guesswork. Here are the official time limits, a food-by-food chart, and what to do before the next storm.

Source: https://nourishandstrong.com/power-outage-food-safety
Published: 2026-11-08
Updated: 2026-11-08
By: the Nourish & Strong team
General information, not medical advice.

**The short answer:** a closed refrigerator keeps food safe for up to 4 hours without power. A full freezer holds a safe temperature for about 48 hours, or about 24 hours if it is half full, as long as the door stays shut. After 4 hours without power, throw out perishable fridge food such as meat, fish, eggs, milk and leftovers, according to USDA and FDA guidance.

Those limits come from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the FDA and FoodSafety.gov, and they assume the doors stay closed.

## How long does food last in the fridge without power?

Food lasts up to 4 hours in a fridge without power if you keep the door closed. That’s the USDA limit, and the FDA says the same: an unopened refrigerator keeps food cold for about 4 hours.

The number to watch is 40°F (4°C), the line on every chart below. FoodSafety.gov’s chart says to toss perishable food that has been at 40°F or above for more than 2 hours, and Ready.gov gives the same rule. So the 4 hours only hold if the fridge stays cold. If you have a cooler and ice, move the most perishable food into it before the 4 hours are up. FSIS says to keep enough ice in the cooler to hold the food at 40°F or below, and to add more as it melts.

## How long can a freezer go without power?

A full freezer can go about 48 hours without power, and a half-full one about 24 hours, if the door stays closed. That’s the FDA and FSIS figure. A packed freezer stays cold longer because frozen food acts like a block of ice.

Not everything thaws at the same speed. FSIS says food in the front, in the door, or in small, thin packages defrosts faster than large, thick items at the back or bottom. Check those first.

For a long outage, dry ice or block ice helps. FSIS says 50 pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic-foot freezer for 2 days. Don’t touch dry ice with bare hands, and don’t let it touch food directly. In a snowstorm, make ice outside in buckets instead of putting food in the snow.

## What food should you throw out after a power outage?

Throw out meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, soft cheese, leftovers and cut fruit or vegetables that have been above 40°F for more than 2 hours. Hard cheese, butter, whole fruit and vegetables, bread and most condiments can stay. This is a short version of the FoodSafety.gov fridge chart:

| Fridge food above 40°F (4°C) for more than 2 hours | Keep or toss |
| --- | --- |
| Raw or cooked meat, poultry, fish and seafood | Toss |
| Lunch meat, hot dogs, bacon, sausage | Toss |
| Leftovers, casseroles, soups, stews, pizza | Toss |
| Eggs, egg dishes, custards and puddings | Toss |
| Milk, cream, yogurt, sour cream, soy milk | Toss |
| Soft cheese (brie, cottage, cream cheese, mozzarella, ricotta), shredded and low-fat cheese | Toss |
| Hard cheese (cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan), processed cheese | Keep |
| Butter and margarine | Keep |
| Cut fresh fruit or vegetables, bagged salad greens, cooked vegetables | Toss |
| Whole fresh fruit and vegetables | Keep |
| Cooked pasta, rice and potatoes | Toss |
| Bread, rolls, muffins, tortillas, fruit pies | Keep |
| Opened creamy dressings, opened spaghetti sauce | Toss |
| Peanut butter, jelly, mustard, ketchup, pickles, vinegar dressings | Keep |
| Opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce, horseradish | Toss if above 50°F (10°C) for more than 8 hours |
| Opened baby formula | Toss |

Source: FoodSafety.gov, Food Safety During Power Outage, and USDA FSIS. FSIS also says to toss any food, such as bread or greens, that raw meat juices may have dripped onto, and anything with an unusual smell, color or texture.

Never taste food to decide. The germs that cause food poisoning usually don’t change how food looks or smells, as our guide to [how long meal prep lasts](https://nourishandstrong.com/how-long-does-meal-prep-last) explains. When in doubt, throw it out.

Prefer to look first? [See what’s in the free printable](https://nourishandstrong.com/free-family-emergency-checklist).

## How do you check if food is safe after a power outage?

Check the temperature, not the look or smell. The FDA and FSIS advise keeping an appliance thermometer in both your fridge and freezer, so you can read it the moment the power returns.

- **Fridge:** it should read 40°F or below. If the power was off no more than 4 hours and the door stayed shut, the FDA says refrigerated food should be safe.
- **Freezer:** if it reads 40°F or below, the food is safe and may be refrozen, the FDA says.
- **No appliance thermometer?** Use a food thermometer on each item. The FDA says perishable food that measures 45°F or below should be safe, but cook and eat it as soon as possible.

Cooking doesn’t rescue food that sat warm too long. The FDA warns that perishable food not kept cold enough can still make you ill even when it’s cooked thoroughly.

## Can you refreeze food after a power outage?

Yes, you can refreeze food that still has ice crystals or that is at 40°F or below, FoodSafety.gov says, though the texture or flavor may suffer. Once frozen food has been above 40°F for more than 2 hours, most of it must go.

| Frozen food | Still has ice crystals, feels fridge-cold | Above 40°F for more than 2 hours |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Meat, poultry, seafood, soups and stews | Refreeze | Toss |
| Milk | Refreeze (some texture loss) | Toss |
| Ice cream, frozen yogurt | Toss | Toss |
| Hard cheese | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Fruit and fruit juice | Refreeze | Refreeze (toss if moldy, yeasty or slimy) |
| Vegetables | Refreeze | Toss after 6 hours above 40°F |
| Bread, rolls, muffins, plain cakes, waffles | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Frozen meals, pizza, pasta or rice casseroles | Refreeze | Toss |

Source: FoodSafety.gov frozen food chart. If you had [freezer meals](https://nourishandstrong.com/freezer-meals) stocked, they follow the frozen meal row.

## How do you keep food cold during a power outage?

Keep the doors shut, keep food grouped together, and add ice. These steps come from FSIS, the FDA and Ready.gov:

- Open the fridge and freezer as little as possible.
- Group food together in the freezer. It helps it stay cold longer.
- After a few hours, move milk, meat and leftovers to a cooler packed with ice or frozen gel packs.

Ready.gov notes that refrigerated medicines need a plan too, and that some may not be usable after more than a day without power unless the label says otherwise. Call your pharmacist before you use or replace them.

## Can you run a generator in the garage?

No. The CDC says never to use a generator inside your home or garage, even with the doors and windows open. Run it outside, more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents, and keep a battery-powered or battery-backup carbon monoxide (CO) detector working inside.

CO has no smell or color. The CDC says more than 400 Americans die each year from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires, and people who are asleep can die before they notice symptoms. Portable generators, charcoal grills and camp stoves all make it. The CDC also says never to heat your home with a gas oven or burn charcoal indoors.

**Know the warning signs.** The CDC lists headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion, often mistaken for flu. If you suspect CO poisoning, MedlinePlus says to move the person to fresh air right away and get medical help: call 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. Pets often show symptoms before people do.

## How do you prepare your fridge for a power outage?

Prepare by setting up your fridge and freezer before the storm, while you still have power. FSIS and the FDA suggest:

- Put an appliance thermometer in the fridge (40°F or below) and freezer (0°F or below).
- Fill empty freezer space with frozen jugs of water, bags of ice or gel packs.
- Freeze leftovers, milk and fresh meat you won’t need right away.
- Have a large insulated cooler ready, and find out where to buy dry or block ice nearby.
- If flooding is possible, store food on high shelves. FSIS says to throw out any food that may have touched floodwater, unless it’s in an undamaged all-metal can or retort pouch that you clean and sanitize first.

Then stock the rest of the house. Our [home emergency kit list](https://nourishandstrong.com/home-emergency-kit-list) covers how much water to store and which foods need no fridge at all. If the tap water becomes unsafe too, see [how to purify water in an emergency](https://nourishandstrong.com/how-to-purify-water-in-an-emergency).

## What if you ate food that wasn’t safe?

Food poisoning usually starts within 1 to 3 days of eating contaminated food, the FDA says, though it can come sooner or later. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, fever, headache and body aches. The FDA says to contact your healthcare provider right away if you think you or a family member has food poisoning, and the CDC advises drinking safe water or an oral rehydration solution to stay hydrated.

For the bigger emergencies, when officials may tell you to stay indoors for a day or more, the [Nuclear Emergency Plan](https://nourishandstrong.com/nuclear-emergency-plan) puts the food, water and shelter steps on paper.

## Quick questions

### Are eggs good after a power outage?

Fresh eggs are not safe after more than 4 hours in a fridge without power. FoodSafety.gov says to throw out shell eggs, hard-cooked eggs, egg dishes and egg products that have been above 40°F (4°C) for more than 2 hours. If a fridge thermometer shows it stayed at 40°F or below, the eggs can stay.

### Is cheese safe after a power outage?

Hard cheese is safe after a power outage, but soft cheese is not. FoodSafety.gov says to keep cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan and processed cheese, even after more than 2 hours above 40°F. Throw out soft cheeses such as brie, cottage cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella and ricotta, plus shredded and low-fat cheese.

### How long is milk good after a power outage?

Milk stays safe only as long as it stays at 40°F (4°C) or below, which a closed fridge manages for about 4 hours. FoodSafety.gov says to throw out milk, cream, yogurt and sour cream that has been above 40°F for more than 2 hours. Frozen milk with ice crystals can be refrozen.

### Is frozen food safe after a power outage?

Frozen food is safe if it still has ice crystals or is at 40°F (4°C) or below, and you can refreeze it, FoodSafety.gov says. Quality may suffer. A full freezer holds a safe temperature for about 48 hours with the door closed, or about 24 hours if it is half full.

### Can you run a generator in the garage with the door open?

No. The CDC says never to run a generator inside your home or garage, even with doors and windows open, because carbon monoxide can build up and kill. Run it outside, more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents, and keep a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector working inside.

### Should you put food in the snow during a power outage?

No. FSIS advises against putting perishable food outside in the snow, because outdoor temperatures change and food can be exposed to animals and dirt. Instead, fill buckets or empty milk jugs with water, leave them outside to freeze, and use that ice in your fridge, freezer or cooler.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Follow instructions from your local officials during an emergency. If you think you have food poisoning or carbon monoxide poisoning, get medical help. Ask your pharmacist about medicines that need refrigeration.

## Sources

- [FoodSafety.gov. Food Safety During Power Outage (refrigerated and frozen food charts)](https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/food-safety-during-power-outage)
- [USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Keep Your Food Safe During Emergencies: Power Outages, Floods & Fires](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/emergencies/keep-your-food-safe-during-emergencies)
- [FDA. Food and Water Safety During Power Outages and Floods](https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/food-and-water-safety-during-power-outages-and-floods)
- [CDC. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics](https://www.cdc.gov/carbon-monoxide/about/index.html)
- [Ready.gov. Power Outages](https://www.ready.gov/power-outages)
- [MedlinePlus. Carbon monoxide poisoning](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002804.htm)
- [CDC. What You Can Do to Prevent Diarrheal Illness After a Disaster](https://www.cdc.gov/water-emergency/safety/index.html)