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Food Safety During Power Outage

A power outage food safety checklist with the times and temperatures published by the US FDA and Ready.gov: before, during and after the outage.

What this tool does

A power outage food safety checklist with the times and temperatures published by the US FDA and Ready.gov: before, during and after the outage.

How to use

  1. Work down the list and tick each item as you finish it.
  2. Ticks are saved on this device, in your browser, so they are still there when you come back.

What this checklist covers

The list has 4 groups and 25 items.

  • Before an outage (FDA advice) (7 items): Put an appliance thermometer in the fridge and another in the freezer; Check the fridge is at or below 40°F (about 4°C) and the freezer at or below 0°F (about -18°C); Freeze containers of water to help keep food cold if the power goes out; Freeze leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry you do not need right away; Group food together in the freezer so it stays cold longer; Have coolers ready in case the power is out for more than 4 hours; Find out where you can get dry ice or block ice
  • While the power is out (FDA times) (7 items): Note the time the power went out; Keep the fridge and freezer doors closed as much as possible; Fridge: FDA says it keeps food cold for about 4 hours if it stays unopened; Freezer: FDA says a full one holds its temperature for about 48 hours with the door closed, a half full one about 24 hours; Move fridge food into coolers with ice if the outage will last more than 4 hours; If you use dry ice, keep it from touching the food and handle it with dry, heavy gloves (Ready.gov); Throw out perishable food left at room temperature for 2 hours or more, or 1 hour if it is above 90°F (about 32°C) outdoors
  • When the power is back (FDA and Ready.gov rules) (7 items): Read the fridge and freezer thermometers before you eat anything; Fridge food should be safe if the power was out for no more than 4 hours and the doors stayed closed; Throw out perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers that has been above 40°F (about 4°C) for 2 hours or more (Ready.gov figure. FDA says 4 hours and also names seafood and milk); Freezer thermometer at 40°F (about 4°C) or below: FDA says the food is safe and may be refrozen; No freezer thermometer: check each package, and refreeze or cook only food that still has ice crystals or is at 40°F or below; Do not judge food by how it looks or smells; When in doubt, throw it out
  • If there was flooding (FDA advice) (4 items): Do not eat any food that may have touched flood water; Throw out food and drink that is not in a waterproof container if it may have touched flood water; Throw out cans that are swollen, leaking, punctured, deeply rusted or badly dented; Use only water from a safe source for drinking, washing food and cooking

Tip: Write down the time the power went out. The 4, 24 and 48 hour figures on this page count from that moment.

Limitations

  • This page is general information, not professional food safety or medical advice. The times and temperatures are those published by two United States government sources, the Food and Drug Administration and Ready.gov. Other countries publish their own rules, so check your national food safety authority.
  • The times are approximate and assume the doors stay closed. The page does not know your appliances, how full they are, how warm the room is or how long your power was out.
  • The list does not cover every food. If you are unsure about an item, throw it out.
  • The flood section covers food and cans only. It does not explain how to make water safe to drink.
  • Ticks, added items and removed items are saved only in this browser on this device.

FAQs

Q: How long does food stay safe in a fridge without power?
A: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says a fridge keeps food cold for about 4 hours if it stays unopened, and that refrigerated food should be safe if the power was out for no more than 4 hours and the doors were kept closed.
Q: How long does a freezer keep food frozen?
A: FDA says a full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours if the door stays closed, and a half full freezer for about 24 hours.
Q: Can I refreeze food that started to thaw?
A: FDA says food that still contains ice crystals, or is at 40°F (about 4°C) or below, is safe to refreeze or cook. It also says you cannot rely on how the food looks or smells.
Q: Why does this list say 2 hours above 40°F when some pages say 4?
A: The two US government pages this list uses differ. Ready.gov says to discard perishable food that has been above 40°F for two hours or more. The FDA page says four hours or more. This list uses the stricter figure.
Q: Where do the numbers come from?
A: From two US government pages read on 9 October 2026: the FDA page "Food and Water Safety During Power Outages and Floods" and the Ready.gov page "Food". The Celsius figures are our own rounded conversions of the Fahrenheit figures on those pages.
Q: Can I add or remove items?
A: Yes. Each section has a box to add your own item, and every item has an X button to remove it. Reset to Default brings back the original list for that section and removes your added items.
Q: Are my ticks saved?
A: Yes, in your browser on this device. They are not sent anywhere and do not follow you to another device or browser.

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