How long is food safe in the fridge during a power outage?

About four hours, if the door stays closed. After four hours without power, perishable items above 40°F should be discarded. (FoodSafety.gov)

How long does a freezer stay cold without power?

A full freezer stays cold for about 48 hours if the door stays closed. A half-full freezer stays cold for about 24 hours. Food that still contains ice crystals or is at 40°F or below can be safely refrozen. (FoodSafety.gov)

What temperature is unsafe for refrigerated food?

Above 40°F (4°C). Bacteria multiply rapidly between 40°F and 140°F — the so-called Danger Zone. Perishable food that has been in the Danger Zone for more than two hours should be discarded. (FoodSafety.gov, FSIS)

Can I refreeze food that thawed during a power outage?

Yes, if the food still contains ice crystals or has stayed at 40°F or below. Quality may suffer but it is safe. Discard anything that fully thawed and was at room temperature for more than two hours. (FoodSafety.gov)

Should I taste food to see if it's still good after a power outage?

Never. Many foodborne illnesses don't change flavor or smell. Use a thermometer and the time-and-temperature rules instead. When in doubt, throw it out.

Scenario · Power outage

Food safety during and after a power outage.

Three numbers do most of the work: 4 hours, 48 hours, and 40°F. Here's how to apply them — before, during, and after the lights go out — sourced from FoodSafety.gov and USDA FSIS.

Fridge

4 hours

A closed fridge keeps food safe for about 4 hours. After that, perishables above 40°F should be discarded.

Freezer (full)

48 hours

A full, closed freezer stays cold for about 48 hours. Half-full: about 24 hours.

The line

40 °F

Above 40°F is the Danger Zone. More than 2 hours above it = discard the perishables.

Before the outage

Most of the work is done before the power even goes out. Two cheap pieces of preparation save a fridge full of food later.

Keep an appliance thermometer in both the fridge and freezer. After the power comes back, the actual temperature is what tells you what's safe — not how long the outage lasted, not how the food smells.
Fill empty freezer space. Frozen water bottles or ice packs fill voids and slow down warm-up. A full freezer stays cold roughly twice as long as a half-empty one.
Group meat and dairy together on one shelf. If you have to triage during a long outage, those are the items most likely to need decisions.
Know where to find ice. Block ice in coolers can hold refrigerated items at safe temperatures for a day or longer if you're prepared for an extended outage.

During the outage — keep the doors closed

The single most important behavior. Every time you open the fridge or freezer, cold air falls out and warm air rushes in. A fridge that stays closed holds for about 4 hours; one that gets opened repeatedly might drop below 40°F after 90 minutes.

Tip. If you must open the fridge — to grab one specific thing — know what you're getting before you open the door. Get in, get out. Treat it like the door is the boundary between safe food and trash.

For longer outages (8+ hours), move the most temperature-sensitive items (raw meat, raw fish, dairy, eggs, deli meat) into a cooler with block ice. Leave the freezer alone — its insulation is doing the work.

After the power returns — check, then decide

When power comes back, the first thing to do is not taste the food. Many foodborne illnesses (Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli) don't change flavor or smell. The two checks that matter are temperature and time.

The 2-hour rule Any perishable food (meat, dairy, eggs, cooked rice, leftovers, cut produce) that has been above 40°F for more than 2 hours should be discarded. There's no smell test that beats this.

What to check first

Read the appliance thermometer. If the fridge is at or below 40°F, the contents are safe.
Open the freezer. Food that still contains visible ice crystals or is at 40°F or below can be safely refrozen. Quality may suffer; safety is fine.
If the freezer thermometer is above 40°F and food has fully thawed, apply the 2-hour rule to each item.

What to discard, what to keep — quick reference

If above 40°F for more than 2 hours	Action
Raw or cooked meat, poultry, fish, seafood	Discard
Soft cheeses, milk, cream, yogurt, sour cream	Discard
Eggs (raw in shell or out, hard-boiled, egg dishes)	Discard
Casseroles, stews, soups, leftovers, cooked pasta, cooked rice	Discard
Cut fruit, cut vegetables, fresh salsa, fresh juice	Discard
Deli meat, hot dogs, cooked sausage, bacon	Discard
Hard cheeses (cheddar, parmesan), processed cheese, butter, margarine	Keep
Whole, uncut fresh fruits and vegetables	Keep
Opened condiments: ketchup, mustard, jam, peanut butter, soy sauce, olives, pickles	Keep
Bread, bagels, rolls, tortillas, muffins, cakes (unfrosted)	Keep

When in doubt, throw it out. Foodborne illness isn't worth saving a $4 pack of chicken. The cost of replacing food is small; the cost of Salmonella or Listeria can be days of sickness, hospitalization, or worse for vulnerable people.

The items most worth caring about

If you only have time to triage a handful of things during a long outage, focus on these — they're the highest-risk perishables in most fridges:

Raw chicken 1–2 days fridge normally Raw ground beef 1–2 days Raw fish / seafood 1–2 days Cooked chicken / leftovers 3–4 days Eggs 3–5 weeks Milk 5–7 days

Or search the full database for the specific item you're triaging.