---
title: "Three star freezer compartment — what it means"
description: "Reaches −18 °C. Store already-frozen food up to the date on the packaging. What the symbol looks like, what happens if you ignore it, and where its meaning differs b"
url: https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-freezer-star-3/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Three star freezer compartment

**Three star freezer compartment: Reaches −18 °C. Store already-frozen food up to the date on the packaging.**

★★★

## What it looks like

Three stars marked on the compartment or door.

## What it means

−18 °C is the international storage standard, and it is the temperature the use-by guidance on frozen packaging assumes. A three-star compartment can hold food at that temperature indefinitely but is not rated to bring warm food down to it quickly, which is the job of the fourth star. In practice a modern freezer is a four-star cabinet whose main body is marked with three.

> Defined by ISO 8561 / EN 62552. Where a symbol differs between standards, the difference is described above rather than resolved — both versions are in circulation on real labels.

## Other food and food contact symbols

| Symbol | Means |
| --- | --- |
| Food safe (glass and fork) | The article is intended to come into contact with food. |
| Not for food contact | This material must not be used with food. |
| One star freezer compartment | Reaches −6 °C. Store already-frozen food for about a week. |
| Two star freezer compartment | Reaches −12 °C. Store already-frozen food for about a month. |
| Four star freezer — freezes fresh food | Reaches −18 °C or colder and can freeze fresh food from room temperature. |
| Vegetarian mark (India) | In India, the product contains no animal-derived ingredient. |
| Non-vegetarian mark (India) | In India, the product contains an animal-derived ingredient, including egg. |

## Common questions

### What does the three star freezer compartment symbol mean?

Reaches −18 °C. Store already-frozen food up to the date on the packaging.

### What does it look like?

Three stars marked on the compartment or door.

## Related pages

- [Four star freezer — freezes fresh food](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-freezer-star-4/)
- [Two star freezer compartment](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-freezer-star-2/)
- [Food safe (glass and fork)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-glass-and-fork/)
- [Not for food contact](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-not-food-safe/)
- [One star freezer compartment](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-freezer-star-1/)
- [Two star freezer compartment](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-freezer-star-2/)
- [Four star freezer — freezes fresh food](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-freezer-star-4/)
- [Vegetarian mark (India)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-veg-india/)
- [Non-vegetarian mark (India)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-nonveg-india/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)