What temperature should a freezer be?

In order to keep food safe to eat, a freezer should be set to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. A refrigerator thermometer should be placed in a freezer and checked once a week to ensure that there are no changes in temperature.

While foods stored at 0 degrees Fahrenheit are safe to eat indefinitely, they degrade in quality if stored for long periods of time. Food to be put into a freezer should be handled safely to reduce the risk of contaminating the food with bacteria. Freezing food does not eliminate all bacteria, but does stop it from growing. If a freezer dies or power goes out, it maintains a safe temperature for 48 hours if the door is not opened.