Knowing how long you can safely keep food and drink can prevent illness. Food goes off quicker if it’s not stored correctly but when it is, it might last longer than you’d think. A quick look or smell will often be a good indication as to whether food is fine to consume but it’s not always reliable. Here’s our guide to how long your favorite foods should last and how to keep them safe according to the experts.
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Use by and best before dates: what do they mean?
In America, foods don’t have to have expiry dates. But when used, a use by date in the US means the last date the product is at peak quality (it is not a safety date except for when used on infant formula). Best by/before dates also indicate when a product will be of best flavor or quality, and is not a purchase or safety date. The sell by date is for store use only, telling staff how long to display the product for inventory management.
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Fridge and freezer know-how
To keep food safe means keeping your fridge at a temperature of less than 40°F (5°C), and preferably between 32–36°F (0–2°C). To check you are within these guideline temperatures, it’s a good idea to keep a thermometer in your fridge. Your freezer temperature should be at 0°F (-18°C). Freezing food down to this temperature completely stops any bacteria growth in the food but may not completely prevent flavor or texture changes.
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How long can canned food be kept for?
In one famous study, scientists analyzed 40-year-old cans of corn and found that the “old” corn looked and smelled perfectly fresh. You’d be ill-advised to take the risk eating food this ancient though – a rule of thumb is not to stretch beyond 18 months for high-acid canned goods like tomatoes and grapefruit, or five years for low-acid canned goods – pretty much everything else, including vegetables, meat and fish. Never eat from a can that’s bulging, badly dented or leaky.
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Boxed cereal
Cereal is enjoyed by many for breakfast and most of us have a packet or three in our cupboards. Cereals are given a best before or best by date, and will be completely safe beyond this but may start to taste a bit stale. What makes cereal soften quickest is moisture so keep a clip on the packaging and store in a dry, dark and cool place.
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Butter
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Keeper app says butter can freeze well and be kept frozen for nine to 12 months. In the fridge, shelf life is less, usually one to two months. It’s OK to ignore the best by date and use smell and taste as a guide though. Spoiled butter will taste unpleasantly rancid and you definitely won’t want to eat it. However it won’t give you food poisoning.
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Chocolate
Chocolate doesn’t go off in a harmful way unless it contains a fresh cream filling. Keep chocolate in a cool, dark place – big temperature fluctuations or high humidity make it bloom and it can become grainy. Milk and white bars last a year unopened in the pantry (six months if opened); dark chocolate up to a year after opening. Refrigeration extends this shelf life but always store in a sealed box so the chocolate doesn’t become tainted by strong smells in the fridge.
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Flour
The National Association of British and Irish Flour Millers says different flours need treating differently. A spokesperson said: “White all-purpose/plain flour should be safe to use after the best before date as long as it has been stored correctly and there aren’t weevils in it. Wholemeal flour has oils that can go rancid, impacting the quality, so use it by its best before date. Self-raising flour also needs to be used by its best before date, or the power of the raising agent may be lost.”
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Fresh eggs
Eggs will be safe if refrigerated (or kept constantly below 64°F/18°C) and cooked by the date on the pack. Up to 90% of British eggs are produced under the Lion Quality scheme, which means the chicken flocks are vaccinated, so salmonella in the eggs is no longer a problem. Have eggs that are out of date? Egg industry website egginfo.co.uk, says the best before date can be ignored if the egg sinks to the bottom of a glass of water. However, if it floats, it’s stale.
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Dried fruit
With the exception of figs, dates and banana chips, which tend to expire quicker than other dried fruits (a couple of months for banana chips; three to 12 months for figs and dates), sealed dried fruits have a relatively long life. For example, the likes of apricot, cherries, cranberries and mango last up to a year in a pantry and even longer frozen, if placed in airtight containers to prevent freezer burn. More moist, semi-dried fruits might not last as long though: follow instructions in these cases.
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Beer
Beer can go off if it’s not stored properly or if it’s been exposed to heat. But if kept in a cool, dark place, expect beer to last up to nine months in a cupboard and up to two years in the fridge after its best by date. When opening a beer, if you don’t hear that familiar pssst sound and there’s no white foam, it’s an indication that the beer has gone flat and, quite possibly, off.
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Cakes and cupcakes
The USDA Food Keeper app says commercial cakes and muffins stay good for three to seven days in the pantry, seven to 10 days in a fridge or six months in the freezer. However, if they contain fresh fruit or fresh cream, keep in the fridge and eat within 24 hours. These figures are good for most homemade bakes too.
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Champagne
It’s a luxury item so always store Champagne correctly – upright in the fridge if you plan on drinking it relatively soon or upright in a cool, dark place, then chill before opening. Champagne and sparkling wine can last for three to four years after purchase although vintage Champagne is designed to last much longer: five to 10 years or more. If you open Champagne and it’s flat or tastes sour, it’s a sad day indeed because it won’t be nice to drink.
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Frozen vegetables
As freezing is such a good way of preserving food, you may think frozen veg will last indefinitely but it has a life of around 10 to 18 months after you’ve popped it in the freezer. Although old frozen veg is unlikely to make you ill, it can become unpalatable when it loses its color and shape, or when ice crystals form. A top safety tip: some types of frozen produce may not be safe unless cooked. Read the label carefully and if it says to cook, do so.
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Hard-boiled eggs
Hard-boiled eggs make a great snack or sandwich filling so it’s tempting to boil a few in advance and use them up during the week. But the US-based Egg Safety Center reminds us that hard-boiled eggs don’t last as long as fresh, as boiling makes the shells more porous. Refrigerate boiled eggs within two hours and keep them in a sealed container (peeled or unpeeled) for a maximum of a week.
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Hard cheese
It’s perfectly fine to make a visual assessment of hard cheeses like Cheddar or Emmental. Registered nutritionist Angela Dowden says: “Mold can’t penetrate deep into hard cheese so it’s fine to just cut a few millimeters/quarter of an inch all around the mold and then tuck into the fresh cheese underneath.” The UK’s Good Housekeeping Institute recommends cheese is wrapped in waxed paper as it stops the cheese from drying out and prevents too much moisture build up.
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Soft cheese
It’s a different story with soft cheeses such as brie, goats’ cheese or cottage cheese, which go off more rapidly. They generally last a week in the fridge but watch for deterioration. “If you see mold on top of a soft cheese, you can’t just cut or spoon it out and expect the rest will be safe. It’s best to ditch the lot,” says registered nutritionist Angela Dowden.
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Honey
Honey is one of the few foods that doesn’t spoil. Stored properly, this natural product can last indefinitely, although it does crystallize over time which gives it a cloudy appearance. If this happens, the flavor tends not to be affected. To change it back to its original appearance, place it in a bowl of warm water to break down the crystals.
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Fresh hot dogs
Fresh (as opposed to canned) hot dog sausages such as frankfurters should be kept chilled at all times. In the UK, fresh hot dogs will always have a use by date which should be followed. American hot dogs without any date stamps can be safely stored in the unopened package for two weeks in the refrigerator; once opened, only one week. If freezing, eat within two months for optimum food safety and flavor.
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Ice cream
You’d think that ice cream would keep for a while, given that it’s a frozen product. But you’ll probably only get away with keeping it a couple of months after the best before date if there is one. It’s not a health hazard but ice crystals can form which affect the taste. This is especially the case after opening – always make sure to properly reseal and not leave out too long between servings.
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Hummus
Homemade or fresh unpasteurized supermarket hummus (the sort you’ll find in the chiller cabinet) needs eating before the use by date if there is one (if there isn’t, the USDA Food Keeper app says eat within seven days). If you’re buying longer-life pasteurized hummus with preservatives, the seven days still applies but not until you open it.
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Mayonnaise
It’s a myth that this condiment is a common cause of food poisoning. According to Berkeley Wellness, the health information service from the University of California, although potato salad and tuna mayo might sicken you if left out in the heat at a picnic, it’s not the mayonnaise that’s the problem. Commercial mayonnaise contains pasteurized eggs and has acidic vinegar – the enemy of food borne bacteria – as a key ingredient. An opened jar can keep happily in the fridge for three months.
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Nuts
The healthy unsaturated oils in roasted, shelled nuts means that after opening, the shelf life can be as little as one to two weeks (unshelled nuts last longer). You are fine to eat them until you notice a stale or rancid taste. “It’s really obvious and unpleasant when the oils in nuts oxidize and you can use this as your guide as to whether they’re safe to eat,” says registered nutritionist Angela Dowden. The best way to store nuts is in tightly sealed containers or if you have room, in the fridge.
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Jelly and marmalade
It depends on the manufacturer but preserves such jellies and marmalade can last, once open and stored in the fridge, for up to a year. The higher in sugar the product, the longer it tends to last. Low-sugar or sugar-free jelly has a shorter fridge life by a couple of months. How you keep it also helps – contaminate sugary spreads with bits off the butter knife and they’ll spoil sooner.
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Peanut butter
Peanuts are high in oil so while peanut butter can last a while, it can also go rancid (you’ll know by the smell when you open it). According to the USDA, unopened peanut butter stays good up to 24 months, but once opened, both crunchy and smooth versions have a pantry life of two to three months, or a month or so longer in the fridge.
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Pesto
A store cupboard staple, an unopened jar or can of pesto lasts a few weeks past any best by/before date printed on it. Once opened, give it a good stir, store in the fridge and eat within three days, says the USDA. Fresh, chilled pesto will often have a use by date which should be respected. A homemade version should also be eaten within three to four days.
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Popsicles
Shop-bought popsicles are safe and edible as long as they taste and look good so you can pretty much ignore any best by date (as long as your freezer is at the correct temperature). If you make your own using fruit purée, yogurt or coconut milk, eat them sooner for peak freshness – within a month or two is fine.
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Sushi
It’s best to take no risks with raw fish, ever. It’s very safe when made under hygienic conditions by expert chefs, but refrigerated sashimi or any type of sushi with a raw fish topping is only guaranteed to last for 24 hours maximum after preparation. Don’t push your luck eating it after this time.
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Yogurt
Acid in yogurt stops the growth of harmful bacteria but spoilage organisms like molds and yeasts can still grow. These won’t give you food poisoning but it pays to follow the best before date if there is one. “Avoid yogurt that has produced gas and become blown out,” advises registered nutritionist Angela Dowden.
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Salami or pepperoni sausage
These delicious dry-cured meats come in sausage shapes that are sliced as and when required. They last longer than pre-sliced deli meat which only lasts a few days, chilled. Unopened, a salami or pepperoni sausage lasts indefinitely in the fridge. Once opened it will last two to three weeks. Store in a sealed container and if it feels or looks slimy to the touch, bin it.
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Wine
It’s a common dilemma, you have half a bottle of wine left after a glass or two but how long is it drinkable for? Refrigerate white and rosé wine then drink within three to five days of opening; red wine can be left with its cork or cap on for three to five days depending on the grape (the more tannin the wine contains, the longer it lasts) in a cool, dark place. Again it’s a taste thing – if it is still palatable, it’s fine to drink.
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Takeout leftovers
You can keep leftover pizza for three days refrigerated but other meals like chicken or fish takeouts are best eaten in two days. Both the UK Food Standards Agency and USDA warn that any food that’s been at room temperature for more than two hours should be ditched altogether. Reheat thoroughly before eating unless you like to eat your takeout leftovers cold (and there’s nothing wrong with that!).
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Baby food and formula
Babies have less developed immune systems and it’s important not to take any unnecessary food safety risks. Any opened jars containing fish, meat or eggs, or baby pouches, should be kept in the fridge and used within 24 hours. Homemade purée and jars of fruit or veg-based food will last, chilled, for two days. Once opened, powdered formula should be used within a month. If the formula has been made up into a liquid, keep in the fridge and use within 24 hours.
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Home-cooked chicken
The USDA says chicken is usually fine to eat for up to three to four days after refrigerating, as long as it is chilled and covered within a couple of hours of being cooked. Obviously it needs to still look and smell good too. Alternatively if you freeze chicken the day it was cooked, it will stay with good eating quality for four to six months.
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Guacamole
The USDA says fresh deli guacamole lasts three to four days in the fridge and three to four months in the freezer. Homemade will last a similar time with a good squirt of lemon juice (try this top recipe). Keep covered and tightly sealed to prevent the top turning brown; if this happens, it’s just the guac reacting with oxygen in the air. Scrape this layer off and it will be fine to eat underneath. Store-bought guacamole can sometimes have preservatives added, in which case it can be fine in the fridge for 14 days after opening.
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