How long it holds
| Appliance | Door closed |
|---|---|
| Full freezer | About 48 hours. |
| Half-full freezer | About 24 hours. |
| Fridge | 4 to 6 hours before exceeding the safety threshold (about 8°C). |
These durations are widely accepted benchmarks, not a single regulatory standard: they vary by appliance model, fill level, room temperature and number of openings. When in doubt, always err on the side of caution.
What to keep, what to throw out
When power returns, or if you need to open the appliance during the outage, this simple rule helps sort things out:
- Throw out first if exposure exceeded the durations above: meat, fish, dairy products other than butter, eggs, ready meals.
- More resilient: butter, hard cheeses, uncut fruit and vegetables.
- When in doubt, throw it out. That's the basic food safety rule: an unusual smell, texture or appearance is enough to discard a food, even before the theoretical duration.
Can it be refrozen?
A food that still contains ice crystals or remains cold to the touch (4°C or below) can generally be refrozen without particular risk. A completely thawed food that's stayed at room temperature should not go back in the freezer: it must be cooked immediately, or thrown out if it's exceeded a reasonable time at room temperature.
Mistakes to avoid
- Opening the door "to check". That's the action that wastes the most useful time.
- Tasting to judge. Some bacteria change neither the taste nor the smell of a food.
- Refreezing a completely thawed food. Cook it first, or throw it out.
- Ignoring bulging or damaged cans after a long outage: throw them out systematically, without opening them.
Tracking your supplies and their dates
LASTLINE doesn't replace your judgement on a food item, but can help you:
- keep an overview of your supplies, scanned by barcode;
- get a reminder before an expiry date, to consume before rather than throw out.
LASTLINE doesn't know if your appliance went through an outage: it's up to you to assess the state of the food afterwards.
Track my supplies with LASTLINEFrequently asked questions
How long does a full freezer hold without electricity?
Door closed and freezer well filled, count on about 48 hours before food starts to thaw. Half full, that drops to about 24 hours. Every door opening reduces this time.
How long does a fridge hold without electricity?
Door closed, count on 4 to 6 hours before the temperature exceeds the safety threshold. That's much less than a freezer: the fridge is the priority in a prolonged outage.
Can a thawed food item be refrozen?
Only if it still contains ice crystals or remains cold to the touch (4°C or below) and hasn't spent more than a few hours out of the cold. A completely thawed food that's stayed at room temperature should not be refrozen: it should be cooked immediately or thrown out.
How do I know if a food is still safe after an outage?
When in doubt, throw it out. The basic food safety rule remains: if you're unsure about the exposure time or the smell, texture or appearance of a sensitive food, don't eat it.
Sources
- Ministry of the Economy, Use-by and best-before dates: what's the difference?
- ANSES, Use-by date and best-before date.
The storage durations given are practical benchmarks widely circulated by energy and food-safety bodies; they don't come from a single regulatory text. When in doubt about a food item, caution always takes priority over these benchmarks.