Food Storage & Shelf Life Guide (Fridge, Freezer, Pantry)
How long food keeps in the fridge, freezer and pantry, and when to eat your leftovers.
Find a food
From the USDA FoodKeeper list of 661 foods and drinks. Other names work too: aubergine, courgette, curd, mince.
Loading the food list…
For freshness and quality, FoodKeeper says to use it within:
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Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper data (public domain). Fridge times assume 40 °F (4.4 °C) or below. Freezer times are for quality only: food kept constantly at 0 °F (−18 °C) stays safe.
Leftovers tracker
Note what you put away and when; the tracker shows when to eat it or throw it away. It is kept on this device only.
Nothing tracked yet.
The calendar file has one all-day event on each food’s last day, with a reminder at 9:00 that morning if your calendar app keeps reminders from imported files.
Use by or best before?
- Use by is about safety: eating food after its use-by date could make you ill, and in the EU such food is deemed unsafe. You can still eat it later if it was cooked or frozen on or before that date: cool cooked food, keep it in the fridge and eat it within 48 hours, and use defrosted food within 24 hours.
- Best before is about quality: after it, the food is usually safe but may not be at its best. Then look, smell or taste — mould on bread, soured dairy products, stale biscuits.
- Follow the storage instructions on the label, including what to do after opening.
- Put cooked food in the fridge within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when it is above 90 °F (32 °C); throw away perishable food left out longer.
Sources: UK government: best before and use-by dates, Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Article 24, USDA FSIS: leftovers and food safety.
For general information only, not medical advice. Consult a qualified health professional for advice about your situation.
How this tool is checked
- Sources
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This guide cites 6 sources, among them:
- Tests
- 21 automated tests check its results.
- Found an error?
- Report a problem or write to support@mysmartcopilot.com, with what you entered and the result you expected.
About the Food Storage & Shelf Life Guide (Fridge, Freezer, Pantry)
Search a food — cooked rice, raw chicken, milk, leftovers — and see how long it keeps in the pantry, the fridge and the freezer, from the date of purchase and after opening, with storage and cooking tips. The times come from FoodKeeper, the food storage guide of the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), developed with Cornell University and the Food Marketing Institute: 661 foods and drinks, in the public domain. Where another country’s official advice is stricter — the UK’s for cooked rice and for leftovers — it is shown beside the US time.
The leftovers tracker notes what you put away and when, shows when to eat it or throw it away, and makes a calendar file with a reminder on each food’s last day. A short guide explains “use by” and “best before”. The food list is part of the page, so it works offline once loaded, and the tracker stays on your device.
How to use it
- Type a food in the box — “cooked rice”, “chicken thighs”, “opened milk” — or tap a common food or browse a category. Other names work too: aubergine, courgette, curd, mince.
- Choose the food from the list to see its times: in the pantry, the fridge and the freezer, counted from the date of purchase or after opening, thawing or cooking, with tips.
- Press Track this food (or fill in the tracker yourself), pick how long it keeps and the day you cooked, opened or bought it, and press Add to the tracker.
- The tracker shows each food’s days left, soonest first. Press Download reminders (.ics) to add the last days to your phone or computer calendar, and remove a food once it is eaten.
Examples
FoodKeeper (US): fridge 4–6 days, freezer 6 months. UK Food Standards Agency: chill leftover rice ideally within one hour, eat it within 24 hours and never reheat it more than once.
Both are official advice; the tracker offers either.
Fridge: 1–2 days from the date of purchase · Freezer: 9 months from the date of purchase · cook to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
Fridge 3–4 days: eat or freeze by 20 October; the tracker shows “eat it soon” from 19 October and “last day” on the 20th. With the UK Food Standards Agency’s 48 hours instead, the last day is 18 October.
Fridge: 3–5 weeks from the date of purchase · Freezer: not recommended (in the shell).
Where the times come from
FoodKeeper is published by the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service; its data set is in the public domain (FSIS FoodKeeper data on data.gov; the app on FoodSafety.gov). For each food it gives the time to eat it “for freshness and quality”, in the pantry, the fridge and the freezer, from the date of purchase or after opening, and sometimes after thawing. Some foods are best eaten “when ripe”, some should not be frozen, and some keep until the package’s use-by date.
The fridge times assume 40 °F (4.4 °C) or below. In the freezer, food kept constantly at 0 °F (−18 °C) stays safe, so freezer times are for quality only (USDA FSIS: freezing and food safety). FoodKeeper names US products and gives temperatures in °F; the page adds °C.
Leftovers: the basics
From the USDA FSIS guidance on leftovers:
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking — within 1 hour above 90 °F (32 °C) — and throw away perishable food left out longer.
- Divide large amounts into shallow containers so they cool quickly; cover or wrap leftovers.
- Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge, or 3 to 4 months frozen; frozen they stay safe longer but lose moisture and flavour.
- The UK Food Standards Agency is stricter: put cooked food in the fridge within one to two hours and eat leftovers within 48 hours, or freeze them (how to chill, freeze and defrost food safely). The tracker offers either rule.
- Thaw in the fridge, in cold water or in the microwave; reheat leftovers until they reach 165 °F (74 °C), and bring sauces, soups and gravies to a rolling boil.
Cooked rice: US and UK advice differ
FoodKeeper gives cooked rice 4 to 6 days in the fridge. The UK Food Standards Agency advises chilling leftover rice as quickly as possible, ideally within one hour, eating it within 24 hours and never reheating it more than once, because the spores of Bacillus cereus can survive cooking and the risk grows the longer rice stands at room temperature (home food fact checker). The stricter advice is the safer one to follow.
Use by and best before
- A use-by date tells you when food is no longer safe to eat; eating it after that date could make you ill. You can eat it later if it was cooked or frozen on or before its use-by date (UK government). In the EU, food is deemed unsafe after its use-by date (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Article 24).
- A best-before date is about quality: after it, food is usually safe but may not be at its best. Then you can use sight, smell or taste — visible mould on bread, soured dairy products, stale biscuits.
- Follow the storage instructions on the label, including what to do once the pack is open: if it says to refrigerate after opening, keep it at 5 °C or below.
The tracker and its reminders
Each food you add gets an eat-by day: the day you cooked, opened or bought it plus the longer end of FoodKeeper’s range (3–4 days means by day 4). From the shorter end the tracker says “eat it soon”, on the last day “last day”, and after it “throw it away” for food in the fridge. Frozen food is only past its best quality then (food kept frozen at −18 °C stays safe), and pantry food is checked before eating, because FoodKeeper’s freezer and pantry times are for quality. You can also enter your own number of days or a package’s use-by date. The list is kept in this browser (tv-pref-food-storage-guide) and never sent anywhere. Download reminders (.ics) makes a calendar file with an all-day event on each food’s last day and a 9:00 reminder.
Limitations
- FoodKeeper is US data: product names follow US usage, and times assume US-style storage. Follow a stricter rule from your own country or the pack’s label where there is one.
- The times assume food that was fresh when stored and kept at the right temperature all along; food left out, or kept in a warm fridge, spoils sooner.
- The guide cannot judge the food in front of you: if a food smells, looks or tastes wrong, throw it away, whatever the date.
- The tracker lives in this browser only; clearing the site’s data deletes it, and it does not sync between devices.
Privacy
On this device: nothing is sent
The food list is part of the page and searching happens on your device. The tracker is kept in this browser only and never sent anywhere; calendar and CSV files are made on your device.
Frequently asked questions
How long does cooked rice last in the fridge?
FoodKeeper (US) says 4 to 6 days. The UK Food Standards Agency advises eating it within 24 hours, after chilling it within about an hour of cooking, and reheating it only once, because of the bacterium Bacillus cereus. The stricter UK advice is the safer one.
How long do leftovers last?
Three to four days in the fridge, according to USDA FSIS, or 3 to 4 months in the freezer (FoodKeeper gives frozen leftovers with meat 2 to 3 months and without meat 1 to 2 months for best quality). Refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking. The UK Food Standards Agency advises eating leftovers within 48 hours, or freezing them; follow your own country’s rule where it is stricter.
How long does raw chicken last in the fridge?
One to two days from the date of purchase, whole or in parts, according to FoodKeeper; frozen, a whole chicken keeps 12 months and parts 9 months for best quality. Cook it to 165 °F (74 °C).
Can I eat food after its best-before date?
Usually yes: best before is about quality, not safety. Check it with your eyes, nose and taste first. A use-by date is different: food can make you ill after it.
Can I freeze food on its use-by date?
Yes: according to the UK government’s guidance you can eat food after the use-by date if it was cooked or frozen on or before that date. Once defrosted, use it within 24 hours.
How long does food last in the freezer?
Food kept constantly at 0 °F (−18 °C) stays safe, says USDA FSIS; the freezer times in FoodKeeper are for quality, because frozen food slowly loses moisture and flavour.