Food (Resource)

Food is the set of edible resources in Oxygen Not Included. It comes from several sources, including harvestable plants, critter meat and eggs, and prepared dishes made in cooking stations such as the Electric Grill, Gas Range, and Microbe Musher. Food is central to colony survival because Duplicants must eat regularly, and because most edible items also carry spoilage, temperature, atmosphere, and germ interactions that affect how long they remain usable.

Most food items have a base spoilage rate, usually described by a shelf life in cycles. That base decay is then modified by temperature and the atmosphere surrounding the item. In a normal atmosphere, spoilage is reduced to 30% of the base rate; in a polluted atmosphere it uses the full base rate; and in a sterile atmosphere temperature becomes the only factor. Temperature works in three bands: above 4 °C is unrefrigerated, from -18 °C to 4 °C is refrigerated, and below -18 °C is deep freeze. The usual spoilage multipliers are:

• Sterile atmosphere: x0.7 unrefrigerated, x0.2 refrigerated, x0 deep freeze
• Normal atmosphere: x1 unrefrigerated, x0.5 refrigerated, x0.3 deep freeze
• Polluted atmosphere: x1.7 unrefrigerated, x1.2 refrigerated, x1 deep freeze

Food is fully preserved only when it is both in deep freeze and in a sterile atmosphere. Vacuum also counts as a sterile condition for spoilage purposes, and if food is in a vacuum, only the food’s own temperature determines whether it is refrigerated or frozen. Food entombed inside manual airlocks, mechanized airlocks, or natural tiles retains its state indefinitely until dug out.

Cooking improves food quality and often extends practical shelf life by turning raw ingredients into new dishes. Some foods can be made in the Microbe Musher as emergency rations, while others require better facilities. Food poisoning germs can accumulate on food and ingredients, but any recipe output completely removes those germs, including recipes made in the Microbe Musher. This makes processing a useful way to sanitize contaminated ingredients before serving them.

Food storage therefore depends on both temperature control and atmosphere control. A cold room alone is not always enough if the atmosphere is polluted, and a sterile room without cooling still allows food to spoil at a reduced rate. Reliable long-term storage usually means keeping food in a refrigerated or frozen sterile area, often by combining insulated storage with a cold source such as a Refrigerator or other cooling setup.

Food production is broad: plants can be farmed for steady harvests, critters can provide meat and eggs, and many raw ingredients can be converted into higher-quality meals. Because edible resources include both raw ingredients and finished dishes, managing food is not just about calories; it is also about spoilage resistance, cooking efficiency, germ control, and storage conditions.