Free food safety tool
How Long Does Food Last in the Fridge or Freezer Without Power?
Food stays safe in the fridge for up to 4 hours without power. A full freezer holds a safe temperature for about 48 hours, and a half-full freezer for about 24 hours. Keep the doors closed.
Power outage food checker
Enter your outage time to see the fridge and freezer deadlines.
Use the full food charts below to check what to keep, refreeze or discard.
Refrigerated food: when to keep it or throw it out
Use this FoodSafety.gov chart for food exposed to temperatures of 40°F (4°C) or above 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 |
| Salads: 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/bleu, 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 combination (in 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 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 (10°C) for more than 8 hrs) |
| Peanut butter | Keep |
| Jelly, relish, taco sauce, mustard, catsup, olives, pickles | Keep |
| Worcestershire, soy, barbecue, hoisin sauces | Keep |
| Fish sauces, oyster sauce | Discard |
| Opened vinegar-based dressings | Keep |
| Opened creamy-based 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: Any with filling containing eggs or milk, e.g., custard, cheese-filled, or 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: when to refreeze it or throw it out
Food that still has ice crystals or is at 40°F (4°C) or below can be refrozen or cooked. Check each row for exceptions and changes in quality. The thawed column applies to food exposed to 40°F (4°C) or above for more than 2 hours; frozen vegetables have a 6-hour limit.
Scroll the table sideways to read both verdict columns.
| Food | Ice crystals or 40°F or below | Thawed: 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 | Refreeze (some loss of texture) | Discard |
| Eggs (out of shell) and egg products | Refreeze | Discard |
| Ice cream, frozen yogurt | Discard | Discard |
| Cheese (soft and semi-soft) | Refreeze (some loss of texture) | Discard |
| Hard cheeses | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Shredded cheeses | Refreeze | Discard |
| Cheesecake | Refreeze | Discard |
| Fruits | ||
| Juices | Refreeze | Refreeze (discard if mold, yeasty smell, or sliminess develops) |
| Home or commercially packaged | Refreeze (will change texture and flavor) | Refreeze (discard if mold, yeasty smell, or sliminess develops) |
| Vegetables | ||
| Juices | Refreeze | Discard after held above 40°F (4°C) for 6 hours |
| Home or commercially packaged or blanched | Refreeze (may suffer texture and flavor loss) | Discard after held above 40°F (4°C) for 6 hours |
| 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 | Refreeze (some quality loss may occur) | Refreeze (quality loss is considerable) |
| Other Foods | ||
| Casseroles: pasta, rice-based | Refreeze | Discard |
| Flour, cornmeal, nuts | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Breakfast items: waffles, pancakes, bagels | Refreeze | Refreeze |
| Frozen meal, entree, specialty item (pizza, sausage and biscuit, meat pie, convenience foods) | Refreeze | Discard |
Keep food cold during an outage
Keep appliance thermometers inside
Keep your fridge at 40°F or below and your freezer at 0°F or below. Check the thermometers during the outage and when power returns.
Keep the doors closed
The 4-hour fridge and 48-hour or 24-hour freezer windows depend on closed doors.
Use ice for a long outage
Block ice or dry ice can keep food cold in the refrigerator. At 4 hours, move meat, milk, eggs and leftovers into a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs. Keep the food at 40°F or below.
Check food without tasting it
Throw out any food with an unusual smell, color or texture. Never taste food to judge its safety.
Power outage food safety FAQ
- How long does food last in the fridge without power?
- Up to 4 hours with the door closed. After 4 hours without power or a cold source like ice, throw out perishable foods such as meat, fish, eggs, milk and leftovers. A thermometer reading of 40°F or below means the food is still at a safe temperature.
- How long does food last in the freezer without power?
- A full freezer holds a safe temperature for about 48 hours. A half-full freezer holds it for about 24 hours. Keep the door closed. Food that still has ice crystals or is at 40°F or below can be refrozen or cooked; check the chart for individual foods, including ice cream and frozen yogurt.
- Is food safe after the power comes back on?
- Check the outage length and food temperature when power returns. Fridge food kept at 40°F or below is safe. Throw out perishable fridge food after 4 hours without power or a cold source. Use the chart to check each food. Throw out any food with an unusual smell, color or texture.
- Can you refreeze food that thawed?
- You can safely refreeze or cook thawed frozen food that still has ice crystals or is at 40°F or below. Its quality may suffer. The chart lists foods that can be refrozen after warming and foods to discard. Throw out ice cream and frozen yogurt, even if they still have ice crystals.
- Does ice in the fridge help?
- Yes. Block ice or dry ice can keep food cold in the refrigerator during a long outage. Check the temperature with a thermometer and keep food at 40°F or below. At 4 hours, move perishable fridge food to a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs if you have them.
Sources: FoodSafety.gov power outage food chart and CDC: Keep Food Safe After an Emergency.