FOOD DEADLINE TOOL

Refrigerator power-outage safety timer

Start a four-hour refrigerator safety clock when electrical power is lost.

When did power fail?

Keep the refrigerator door closed. FoodSafety.gov says an unopened refrigerator keeps food safely cold for about four hours. After that, evaluate and discard refrigerated perishables as directed.

FoodSafety.gov power-outage chart.