A food storage chart for the fridge, freezer and pantry
How long does cooked rice keep? Is last week’s chicken still fine? This food storage chart answers those questions for 661 foods, from leftovers and cooked rice to raw meat, dairy, bread, fruit and vegetables. Search for a food and see how long it keeps in the pantry, the refrigerator and the freezer, whether that is from the day you bought it, after opening or after thawing, plus the storage tips that come with it. Then pick the date you bought, cooked or opened it to get a use-by date.
Every time comes from FoodKeeper, the food storage database published by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service and released into the public domain. The UK Food Standards Agency is stricter on some foods, notably leftovers and cooked rice, so the chart shows its advice alongside where it differs.
How to use the Food Storage Time Guide (Fridge, Freezer, Pantry)
- Type a food into Find a food (for example “rice”, “chicken” or “cheese”), or choose a category.
- Tap a food to see its pantry, refrigerator and freezer times and tips.
- Under Use-by date, choose where it is stored and the date it was bought, cooked, opened or thawed.
- Read the use-by date range. Use Print this chart to print the foods currently listed as a table for the fridge door.
Food Storage Time Guide (Fridge, Freezer, Pantry) features
661 foods
The full USDA FoodKeeper list across 25 categories, from baby food to seafood.
Every kind of storage
Pantry, refrigerator and freezer, from purchase, after opening and after thawing.
Use-by dates
Turns “3 to 5 days” into real calendar dates from the day you choose.
UK advice where it differs
Food Standards Agency guidance on leftovers, rice and defrosted food next to the USDA times.
Printable chart
Prints the popular foods, a category or your search results as a clean table.
How long food lasts in the fridge after cooking
These FoodKeeper times assume the food was refrigerated within two hours of cooking, in a fridge at 40 °F (4 °C) or colder.
| Food | Refrigerator | Freezer (best quality) |
|---|---|---|
| Leftovers with meat, fish, poultry or egg | 3–4 days | 2–3 months |
| Cooked rice | 4–6 days (UK: 1 day) | 6 months |
| Cooked pasta | 3–5 days | 1–2 months |
| Soups and stews | 3–4 days | 2–3 months |
| Cooked poultry dishes | 3–4 days | 4–6 months |
| Cooked fish | 3–4 days | 1–2 months |
| Hard-boiled eggs | 1 week | not recommended |
Freezer storage times and safety
A freezer at 0 °F (−18 °C) keeps food safe indefinitely, because bacteria cannot grow; the freezer times in FoodKeeper are for best quality, after which food can dry out and lose flavour. The UK Food Standards Agency suggests most meats are best eaten within 2–3 months and baked goods, fruit and vegetables within 3–4 months. Wrap food airtight to prevent freezer burn and label it with the date.
Defrost food in the refrigerator, not on the counter. The FSA advises using food within 24 hours once it is fully defrosted. For thawing times, see the defrost time calculator and, for a whole bird, the turkey thawing calculator.
Use-by, best-before and the two-hour rule
- A use-by date is about safety: do not eat the food after it, even if it looks and smells fine. A best-before date is about quality.
- Once a pack is opened, the “after opening” time applies, whatever the date on the pack says.
- Perishable food left at room temperature for more than two hours (one hour above 90 °F / 32 °C) should be thrown away.
- Cool leftovers quickly in shallow containers, and reheat them until steaming hot, to 165 °F (74 °C). The meat doneness chart lists safe cooking temperatures.
Food Storage Time Guide (Fridge, Freezer, Pantry) FAQ
How long can cooked rice stay in the fridge?
USDA FoodKeeper gives 4 to 6 days for cooked rice refrigerated promptly. The UK Food Standards Agency is stricter: cool rice within about an hour, keep it in the fridge for no more than one day, and reheat it only once, because spores of Bacillus cereus can survive cooking.
How long does food last in the fridge after cooking?
Most cooked leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in a fridge at 40 °F (4 °C) or colder, according to FoodKeeper. UK guidance is to eat leftovers within 48 hours or freeze them.
How long can you keep food in the freezer?
Frozen food stays safe indefinitely at 0 °F (−18 °C), but quality fades. FoodKeeper gives best-quality times such as 2 to 3 months for leftovers and 9 months for raw chicken parts.
Is there a printable food storage chart?
Yes. List the foods you want (the popular list, a category, or a search) and press Print this chart to get a table of pantry, refrigerator and freezer times.
Where does the data come from?
From the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service FoodKeeper data, published on data.gov under a CC0 public-domain dedication. This page uses the English file (data version 128) as it was served in 2025 and 2026.
What if the pack has a use-by date?
Follow it. FoodKeeper times are general guidance; a use-by date printed by the producer applies to that product.