A non-perishable food list you can build from your normal shopping
The short answer
Non-perishable food is food that keeps without a fridge, such as tinned (canned) and packaged food. Official bodies name tinned food, dried food such as rice and pasta, and food that needs no cooking, such as breakfast cereals.
How long to plan for differs by country, and the Irish government pages that we list give no number. The first table of this guide has a row for each country.
It does not keep for ever: the Northern Territory Government in Australia says that non-perishables will perish over a period of time. So buy what your household already eats, add a little on each shopping trip, then use the oldest first and replace it.
Emergency food list: how many days to plan for
Official bodies give different numbers, so read the row for your own country. A stock that grows a little each trip can pass any of these amounts in time.
| Country | Official body | How much food to keep |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Ready.gov | Non-perishable food for several days at least. |
| United Kingdom | Be Ready | Non-perishable food for 3 days. |
| Canada | Health Canada; PreparedBC (British Columbia) | Health Canada, on its page on food and drinking water in an emergency: be ready to look after yourself and your family for at least 72 hours. PreparedBC: non-perishable food for a minimum of three days to one week. |
| Australia | Get Ready Queensland; SecureNT (Northern Territory) | Get Ready Queensland: plan a three-day menu for your household, and keep a supply of non-perishable food in your kit. SecureNT: non-perishable foods for 3 days plus. |
| New Zealand | Health New Zealand | Tinned food for at least 3 days. For special dietary needs: at least 3 days of those foods, and a week or more where you can. |
| Ireland | No figure in the sources we list | |
| India | NCDC | For when disaster warnings are issued: at least a 3-day supply of water and food. |
Where a row has no figure, the sources we list for that country give no number of days for food.
A non-perishable food list from official bodies
These are the kinds of food that official bodies name. Each card says which body names what.
Tinned (canned) food
Be Ready in the United Kingdom names tinned meat, fish and vegetables. Ready.gov in the United States lists ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables.
Dried food
Health New Zealand names rice and pasta. Be Ready names dried fruit and nuts. The India Meteorological Department lists dry items as emergency food in its earthquake advice.
Food that needs no cooking
Health New Zealand names breakfast cereals and dried fruit. Ready.gov lists dry cereal or granola, protein or fruit bars, and peanut butter.
Food that needs no added water
Health New Zealand names nuts, spreads, crackers, biscuits and muesli bars.
Long-life milk
Health New Zealand lists milk powder and UHT milk. Ready.gov lists non-perishable pasteurised milk.
A tin opener (can opener)
Ready.gov, Get Ready Queensland, the New South Wales State Emergency Service and the India Meteorological Department all list an opener. Queensland notes that not every tin has a ring pull.
Something you enjoy
Ready.gov includes comfort foods on its list.
Health Canada says to choose items that will not spoil, such as canned food and energy bars. Ireland's Office of Emergency Planning and its Department of Defence name no kinds of food: both say to have a supply of non-perishable food that is easy to prepare.
Use the oldest first and replace it
A food stock from normal shopping can stay in date if you eat from it and top it up. Germany's Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) is outside the countries we cover, but it puts the method in a few words: new supplies go to the back of the shelf, and the older food is used first.
The Northern Territory Government in Australia reminds readers that non-perishable food does perish in time. Its advice is to fill the kit when the wet season begins and to use it in the dry season.
For storage, Ready.gov says to keep tinned food in a cool, dry place, and boxed food in tightly closed plastic or metal containers.
| Country | Official body | How often to check or replace it |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Ready.gov | Replace expired items as needed. |
| United Kingdom | Be Ready | Every six months, with a reminder, check the expiry dates and replace what needs it. |
| Canada | Health Canada | Replace emergency food supplies every year, or as the date on their label shows. |
| Australia | Get Ready Queensland; SecureNT (Northern Territory) | Get Ready Queensland: look through your kit regularly for used items and expiry dates. SecureNT: check what is in your kit at least once a year. |
| New Zealand | Health New Zealand | Replace stored food before its use-by date, and at least every 12 months. |
| Ireland | Office of Emergency Planning | Rotate food so that nothing goes past its expiry date. The booklet gives no interval. |
| India | No figure in the sources we list |
Stockpiling food without a big shop
You do not need a single large shop to build a food stock. The United Kingdom government's Be Ready campaign says of its whole checklist that you do not need to do it all at once: build it up over time, and pick up an extra item or so when you can.
Be Ready also suggests that you look in your cupboards first. Then you pick up what is missing on your regular shopping trips, which spreads the cost.
Ready.gov in the United States says of its food list that you may already have many of the items. New Zealand's Get Ready site says that you probably have most of what you need. Get Ready Queensland and Ready.gov both suggest that you take a checklist with you when you shop.
What food to stockpile: what you already eat
Store the food that your household eats now. Be Ready says that it is best to buy food that you would usually eat. Ready.gov says to choose foods that your family will eat.
Food for babies, special diets and pets
Plan for each member of the household. Ready.gov says to remember any special dietary needs. New Zealand's Get Ready site gives a reason to hold your own food: an emergency shelter may not have the food that you need.
Pet food is on the lists of Be Ready, Ready.gov, Get Ready Queensland and the New South Wales State Emergency Service. Health New Zealand names tinned and dried food for pets.
| Country | Official body | What the official page says |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Ready.gov | Ready.gov lists food for infants, and says to use ready-to-feed formula. |
| United Kingdom | Be Ready | Ready-made or ready-to-feed formula is best, because boiling water to make up powdered formula safely may not be possible. |
| Canada | Health Canada | Health Canada's kit list has ready-to-use infant formula, with other essential baby supplies. |
| Australia | Get Ready Queensland; SecureNT (Northern Territory) | Get Ready Queensland: pack formula (check its expiry date) and a bottle, with food, nappies and wipes to last three days or more. SecureNT lists food and formula among the special needs of infants. |
| New Zealand | Get Ready (New Zealand) | Get Ready lists food for babies with its long-lasting food. |
| Ireland | Office of Emergency Planning | For a baby on formula, keep extra ready-to-feed formula. |
| India | NCDC | For when disaster warnings are issued: meet the needs of babies, and of family members with special diets. |
Cooking without power
In a power cut (power outage), much of this food needs no cooking. Be Ready suggests food that does not need cooking. Ready.gov says that commercially canned food may be eaten from the can without warming.
If you plan to cook, read what your own country's body says about stoves and where to use them.
| Country | Official body | What the official page says |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Ready.gov | Use charcoal grills and camp stoves outdoors only. |
| United Kingdom | Food Standards Agency | Electric and induction cookers will not work in a power cut, but gas cookers may. If you have one, you can also cook on a camping stove, a barbecue or a bottled gas stove. Check the maker's instructions for safe use: most are designed for outdoor use only. |
| Canada | Government of Alberta; Government of Ontario | Government of Alberta: practise no-cook meals, or use a barbecue. A natural gas stove can be used to prepare food, but not as a heat source. Government of Ontario: do not use barbecues, camping stoves or home generators indoors. |
| Australia | Get Ready Queensland; SecureNT (Northern Territory) | Get Ready Queensland: pack a gas stove to cook on if there is no power. SecureNT: a portable cooker, with spare canisters or bottles if it uses gas. |
| New Zealand | Health New Zealand | Use camp stoves, camp fires or barbecues to cook food. Portable gas cooking appliances must be used outside. |
| Ireland | Office of Emergency Planning | In its advice for severe cold weather: keep enough fuel to heat and to cook and, if you can, a suitable alternative in case the main supply fails. |
| India | NCDC | For when disaster warnings are issued: keep foods that have a long storage life and need little or no cooking, water or refrigeration. The checklist does not say how to cook without power. |
Put it in your plan
The Food screen of your kit plan counts meals for your household. The count is our own method, not an official one: 3 meals a day for each adult and child, and one tin of beans, soup, fish or meat as one meal.
Sources
Every official page that this guide uses, by country. Each link opens in a new tab.
United States
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (Ready.gov), Food (opens in a new tab). Page date: 12 March 2026. Read 12 November 2026.
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (Ready.gov), Build A Kit (opens in a new tab). Page date: 1 July 2026. Read 12 November 2026.
United Kingdom
- UK government, Be Ready campaign, Get prepared for emergencies (opens in a new tab). Read 12 November 2026.
- Food Standards Agency, Food safety in a power cut: advice for consumers (opens in a new tab). Page date: 26 July 2023. Read 12 November 2026.
Canada
- Health Canada, Food and drinking water safety in an emergency (opens in a new tab). Page date: 8 May 2026. Read 12 November 2026 in a browser.
- Ontario: Government of Ontario, Ministry of Energy and Mines, Power outages and blackouts (opens in a new tab). Page date: 10 June 2024, updated 10 November 2026. Read 12 November 2026.
- Alberta: Government of Alberta, Power outages (opens in a new tab). Read 12 November 2026.
- British Columbia: Government of British Columbia (PreparedBC), Build an emergency kit and grab-and-go bag (opens in a new tab). Page date: 11 August 2026. Read 12 November 2026.
Australia
- Queensland: Queensland Government (Get Ready Queensland), Emergency kit (opens in a new tab). Read 12 November 2026.
- Northern Territory: Northern Territory Government (SecureNT), Emergency kits (opens in a new tab). Page date: 9 October 2025. Read 12 November 2026.
- New South Wales: New South Wales State Emergency Service, Put together an emergency kit (opens in a new tab). Read 12 November 2026.
New Zealand
- Health New Zealand, Preparing for an emergency (opens in a new tab). Page date: 22 July 2026. Read 12 November 2026.
- National Emergency Management Agency (Get Ready), Work out what supplies you need (opens in a new tab). Read 12 November 2026.
Ireland
- Government of Ireland, Office of Emergency Planning, Be Emergency Ready booklet (opens in a new tab). Read 12 November 2026 in the official PDF.
- Government of Ireland, Office of Emergency Planning, Severe cold weather (opens in a new tab). Page date: 26 August 2026. Read 12 November 2026.
- Government of Ireland, Department of Defence, Home safety advice and community resilience (opens in a new tab). Page date: 29 January 2020 (last updated 16 January 2023). Read 12 November 2026.
India
- National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Emergency preparedness checklist (opens in a new tab). Read 12 November 2026 in the official PDF.
- India Meteorological Department (Meteorological Centre Srinagar), Do's & Don'ts (earthquakes, urban floods and other hazards) (opens in a new tab). Read 12 November 2026 in the official PDF.
Germany
- Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), Germany, Stockpiling (opens in a new tab). Read 12 November 2026.
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