Is my food still safe after a power cut?
As of 2 November 2026, US guidance (CDC, Ready.gov) and the UK Food Standards Agency agree: a closed fridge keeps food cold for about 4 hours, a full freezer about 48 hours and a half-full freezer about 24 hours. In the US, throw out perishable food that has been at 40°F (4°C) or warmer for 2 hours or more; the UK FSA says chilled food above 8°C should be thrown away after 4 hours.
Your fridge and freezer
Rule: CDC, Keep Food Safe After a Disaster or Emergency, checked 2026-11-02
Rule: Ready.gov (FEMA), Power Outages, checked 2026-11-02
Rule: UK Food Standards Agency, Food safety in a power cut: advice for consumers, checked 2026-11-02
The rules in one place
- Fridge: about 4 hours with the door shut (CDC, FSA).
- Full freezer: about 48 hours. Half full: about 24 hours (CDC, FSA).
- US line: throw away food that has been at 40°F (4°C) or higher for 2 hours or more (Ready.gov).
- UK line: chilled food can be kept below 8°C; above 8°C, throw it away after 4 hours unless power is back within 4 hours (FSA).
- Refreezing: fine if the food still has ice crystals or is at 40°F (4°C) or below (CDC).
- Thermometers: fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below, freezer at 0°F (-18°C) or below (CDC).
- Food that touched flood water: throw it out (CDC). When in doubt, throw it out.
Worked examplePower off at 18:00, doors kept shut
| Hours without power | Clock | Fridge food | Half-full freezer | Full freezer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | Mon 19:00 | Safe (within 4 h) | Frozen (within 24 h) | Frozen (within 48 h) |
| 3 h | Mon 21:00 | Safe (within 4 h) | Frozen (within 24 h) | Frozen (within 48 h) |
| 4 h | Mon 22:00 | Safe (within 4 h) | Frozen (within 24 h) | Frozen (within 48 h) |
| 6 h | Tue 00:00 | Throw out perishables unless kept at 40°F / 4°C or below | Frozen (within 24 h) | Frozen (within 48 h) |
| 12 h | Tue 06:00 | Throw out perishables unless kept at 40°F / 4°C or below | Frozen (within 24 h) | Frozen (within 48 h) |
| 24 h | Tue 18:00 | Throw out perishables unless kept at 40°F / 4°C or below | Frozen (within 24 h) | Frozen (within 48 h) |
| 30 h | Wed 00:00 | Throw out perishables unless kept at 40°F / 4°C or below | Check: refreeze only with ice crystals or at 40°F / 4°C or below | Frozen (within 48 h) |
| 48 h | Wed 18:00 | Throw out perishables unless kept at 40°F / 4°C or below | Check: refreeze only with ice crystals or at 40°F / 4°C or below | Frozen (within 48 h) |
| 60 h | Thu 06:00 | Throw out perishables unless kept at 40°F / 4°C or below | Check: refreeze only with ice crystals or at 40°F / 4°C or below | Check: refreeze only with ice crystals or at 40°F / 4°C or below |
Times assume the doors stayed shut. Opening the door lets cold out, so the real safe time is shorter: a thermometer reading beats the clock.
Throw out after 4 hours without power
CDC lists the perishable fridge foods to throw out after 4 hours without power or a cold source such as ice:
- Meat and fish
- Cut fruits and vegetables
- Eggs
- Milk
- Leftovers
If the power will be off longer than 4 hours and you have a cooler and ice, CDC advises moving fridge food into it and keeping it at 40°F (4°C) or below.
What this page shows, and what it misses
It applies the published hold times and temperature lines to the time you enter. It cannot see your fridge: an old seal, a hot kitchen or an opened door shortens every figure. It is not advice for a business, a care home or anyone who is pregnant, very young, older or unwell, who should follow their own food-safety rules more strictly. It does not cover medicines that need refrigeration: ask a pharmacist.
Figures quoted from CDC, Ready.gov (public domain) and the UK Food Standards Agency (Open Government Licence v3.0).
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