How long food lasts without a fridge in a blackout (and what to throw away)
About 4 hours in a closed fridge, 24-48 in the freezer. What to bin, what keeps and how to buy time during a power cut.
Category Food
Without electricity the fridge stops cooling and the electric hob is useless. In this section we explain what happens to food during a blackout and how to organise a pantry that doesn’t depend on the cold. You’ll see how long food lasts in the fridge and freezer, what to throw away when the power returns and what to buy to last 72 hours or more: tins, cooked pulses, crispbread, nuts or ready meals. We also give you ideas for cooking safely without power and a calculator that tells you how much food and water you need for your household and the number of days you want to last. No alarmism, and with supermarket products.