How it works
Type a food and the page looks it up in USDA FoodKeeper, the home storage guidance from the Food Safety and Inspection Service (661 foods). It picks the usual place and fills in FoodKeeper's time: 3 to 5 weeks for eggs in the fridge, 3 to 4 days for leftovers. Tick Opened for the time after opening. The use-by date is the start of FoodKeeper's range, counted from the day you enter; the end is shown beside it.
Anything due within three days sits on the Use first shelf (three days is our choice). Freeze it moves a food to the freezer and starts FoodKeeper's freezer time; FSIS says food kept at 0 °F stays safe and freezer times are about quality.
Package dates differ by country. In the US, except for infant formula, FSIS says they are about quality; in the UK, use-by dates are about safety. Follow the date on your package. FSIS also notes that the bacteria that cause illness don't generally change how food smells or looks, so this page can't tell you a food is safe; it helps you remember.
Questions people ask
- How long do leftovers last in the fridge?
- USDA's FoodKeeper says 3 to 4 days for leftovers in the fridge, with or without meat. In the freezer it gives 2 to 3 months with meat, fish, poultry or egg, and 1 to 2 months without; FSIS notes that freezer times are about quality, because food kept at 0 °F stays safe.
- What's the difference between best by and use by?
- In the US, except for infant formula, both are about quality, not safety: FSIS says a Best if Used By date is when food is at its best and a Use-By date is the last date for peak quality. Other countries differ; in the UK, use-by dates are about safety. Follow the date on your package.
- How long are eggs good in the fridge?
- FoodKeeper gives 3 to 5 weeks in the fridge for eggs in their shells, counted from when you bought them, and doesn't recommend freezing them in the shell.
- Where do the storage times come from?
- From USDA FoodKeeper, the storage guidance published by the Food Safety and Inspection Service, version 128, which is in the public domain. The page uses FoodKeeper's shorter time as the use-by date and shows the longer one beside it.
- Where is my list kept?
- Only in this browser on this device; we never see it. Use Export in Settings to keep a copy or move it to another device.