“How long is food OK in the fridge when the fridge goes out?” one of my friends asked me.

Then he mentioned throwing away some summer sausage from a friend, along with most of the contents of his fridge.

If I told you the source of the meat, his friend might find out he threw it. I will give you a big hint: these animals build dams, have large flat tails and prominent teeth.

I suspect my friend wasn’t overly disappointed about the loss of that summer sausage.

When a refrigerator loses power and food has been above safe temperatures for too long, the decision about what to keep becomes fairly straightforward.

No one wants to be part of the national problem of food waste. We toss 30%-40% of food, and much of it ends up in landfills. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food waste adds up to 133 billion pounds annually, with a price tag of $161 billion.

When an appliance malfunctions, the issue is out of our control unless we catch it soon enough and can move the food to another fridge.

Even when food is stored cold at less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit, spoilage microorganisms can act slowly. Sometimes, they let us know they are doing their devious work.

For example, molds produce colorful fuzzy substances that lead to off-odors, tastes and potential safety issues. We know not to taste it, with some exceptions, such as blue cheese, where mold is supposed to be present. 

Yeasts can announce their presence in foods such as pickles with cloudiness in the brine.  

Bacteria are trickier. Most of the time, we will not see, smell or taste their presence. We need to track temperature and time to determine the safety of food.

I do not enjoy wasting food, but perishable food that has been at room temperature for too long can’t be spared without taking a risk to your health.

We recommend following the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s two-hour rule. If perishable food is above 40 degrees for more than two hours, then, unfortunately, it needs to be tossed.

What foods are perishable and need to be tossed in case of a refrigerator outage?

• Raw meat, poultry, gravy, casseroles, soups and stews would all fall in the throw-away category, because they are high in moisture and protein, which bacteria love.
• Soft cheeses, such as blue, brie, cottage, cream, ricotta and muenster, would need to be tossed, along with shredded cheese. Processed cheese, hard cheeses (Colby, Swiss, Parmesan, Romano) and grated cheese (Parmesan, Romano) are OK.
• Milk, cream, sour cream and yogurt would all need to be discarded. Hard-cooked eggs and other dishes containing eggs, such as custards, need to be discarded if left at room temperature for too long.
• Cut fresh fruit is perishable, while uncut fruit, dried fruit and opened fruit juice are OK. Plant foods can be composted.
• Many condiments, such as barbecue sauce, mustard and taco sauce are OK because of their acidity. Fruit pies are safe at room temperature, but cream pies are perishable and would need to be tossed.
• Cooked pasta, rice and potatoes need to be discarded if at room temperature too long.

The USDA has a downloadable safety chart (“Refrigerated Food During Power Outage Safety Chart”) with many more examples. Consider saving it to your computer or printing it “just in case.” You never know when appliances will decide they have reached the end of their lifespan.

No meal is worth the risk, no matter how “unique” the protein source might be. If you’re planning meals around what you have on hand, here’s a simple, flexible recipe to try, courtesy of Iowa State University’s “Eat Smart Spend Smart” program.

One Pot Meal — Pasta Fagioli Soup

1/2 pound turkey sausage
1 tablespoon oil (canola or olive)
1 cup onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups water
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 can (15.5 ounces) white beans (cannellini or great northern), drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup whole wheat pasta
1 cup fresh spinach, cut into bite-sized pieces
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook sausage and drain. Remove sausage to a plate or bowl. Add oil to the pan and heat. Add onion and garlic, then saute for 3 minutes. Add water, broth, drained beans, tomatoes and pepper. Heat to boiling. Add pasta and cook until tender (about 8 minutes). Reduce heat to low. Add sausage and spinach, and simmer until spinach is wilted (about 3 minutes). Top with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Makes five servings (1 ½ cups per serving). Each serving has 320 calories, 8 grams (g) fat, 21 g protein, 43 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber and 650 milligrams sodium.

(Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.)

NDSU Agriculture Communication – April 16, 2026

Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, 701-231-7187, julie.garden-robinson@ndsu.edu

Editor: Dominic Erickson, 701-231-5546, dominic.erickson@ndsu.edu