How Long Does Food Last in the Fridge? (Complete Storage Guide)

Most food lasts 3–5 days in the fridge. But that rule varies a lot depending on what you’re storing — raw chicken is only safe for 1–2 days, while hard cheese can last months. This guide covers storage times for 50+ foods across every category, plus how to tell when something has gone bad.

Table of Contents

The golden rule: how long do leftovers and cooked food last?

Most cooked food lasts 3–4 days in the fridge. That includes leftovers from last night’s dinner, meal-prepped dishes, and anything you’ve reheated.

The reason is simple: bacteria multiply rapidly between 40°F and 140°F (the “danger zone”). At proper fridge temperatures — 40°F or below — bacterial growth slows but doesn’t stop. After 3–4 days, bacterial counts can reach levels high enough to cause food poisoning even if the food looks and smells fine.

Cooked food	Fridge life
Pizza	3–4 days
Cooked chicken or turkey	3–4 days
Cooked rice	3–4 days
Pasta with sauce	3–5 days
Cooked fish	3–4 days
Soup or stew	3–4 days
Cooked eggs (scrambled, fried)	3–4 days
Hard-boiled eggs	1 week
Cooked beans	3–5 days
Cooked vegetables	3–5 days
Lasagna	3–5 days
Casseroles	3–4 days

One important note: reheating doesn’t reset the clock. Cooked chicken that’s been in the fridge for 3 days is still 3-day-old chicken after you microwave it. The clock starts from when the food was first cooked, not last heated.

Raw meat, fish, and seafood

Raw proteins have shorter shelf lives than cooked food because they haven’t been through the heat treatment that kills surface bacteria. Keep raw meat on the bottom shelf of the fridge to prevent drips contaminating other food.

Raw protein	Fridge life
Ground beef or pork	1–2 days
Whole chicken or turkey	1–2 days
Chicken pieces	1–2 days
Steak, chops, roasts	3–5 days
Pork tenderloin	3–5 days
Lamb	3–5 days
Bacon (opened)	7 days
Sausages (raw)	1–2 days
Raw fish (salmon, cod, etc.)	1–2 days
Raw shrimp	1–2 days
Scallops or oysters	1–2 days
Smoked salmon (opened)	5–7 days

If you’re not going to cook raw meat or fish within these windows, freeze it. Raw salmon lasts 2–3 months in the freezer; raw chicken up to 9 months.

Dairy, eggs, and deli items

Item	Fridge life
Whole eggs in shell	3–5 weeks
Raw eggs out of shell	2–4 days
Hard-boiled eggs (in shell)	1 week
Hard-boiled eggs (peeled)	5 days
Milk (opened)	5–7 days
Hard cheese (cheddar, parmesan, gouda)	3–6 months
Soft cheese (brie, camembert)	1–2 weeks
Feta (in brine)	4 weeks
Cottage or ricotta cheese	1–2 weeks
Yoghurt (opened)	5–7 days
Butter	1–3 months
Sour cream (opened)	1–2 weeks
Deli meat (opened package)	3–5 days
Hot dogs (opened)	1 week

A note on eggs: In the US, commercially sold eggs are washed, which removes their natural protective coating. This is why American eggs must be refrigerated — if left at room temperature, bacteria can enter through the porous shell. In Europe and the UK, eggs are typically unwashed and can safely sit on the counter for weeks. If you’re in the US, always refrigerate your eggs.

Fruits, vegetables, and produce

Produce storage times vary more than any other category — it depends on the type, how ripe it is when you buy it, and whether it’s cut.

Produce	Fridge life
Berries (strawberries, blueberries)	3–7 days
Grapes	1–2 weeks
Apples	4–6 weeks
Cut melon	3–5 days
Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach)	5–7 days
Broccoli or cauliflower	3–5 days
Cabbage (whole)	1–2 months
Cabbage (cut)	3–5 days
Mushrooms	7–10 days
Carrots	3–4 weeks
Celery	1–2 weeks
Bell peppers	1–2 weeks
Zucchini	1–2 weeks
Tomatoes	Best at room temp, but 1–2 weeks if refrigerated

Storage tip: Don’t wash produce until you’re ready to use it. Moisture speeds up bacterial growth and mould. Keep berries dry in their original container; wash just before eating.

Tip for leafy greens: Wrap them loosely in a slightly damp paper towel and store in a container or bag. The paper towel absorbs excess moisture without drying the leaves out.

Condiments, sauces, and opened pantry items

People are often surprised how long condiments last — most are self-preserving due to high salt, sugar, or acidity content.

Condiment / sauce	Fridge life after opening
Ketchup	6 months–1 year
Mustard	1 year
Mayonnaise	2 months
Salsa	1–4 weeks
Soy sauce	1–3 years
Fish sauce	3–4 years
Hot sauce	6 months–1 year
Balsamic vinegar	3–5 years (quality) — doesn’t spoil
Worcestershire sauce	1–3 years
Jam or jelly (opened)	6–12 months
Hummus (opened)	4–7 days
Salad dressing (opened)	1–3 months
Pasta sauce (opened jar)	5–10 days

Condiments don’t expire the way perishable food does — the risk is quality loss, not food poisoning. An open bottle of soy sauce that’s been in your fridge for two years is safe to use, even if the flavour has faded.

How to tell if food has gone bad

The best signals:

Smell. The most reliable indicator. Sour, off, ammonia-like, or just “wrong” — trust your nose. Raw fish that smells powerfully of ammonia (not just ocean) is past its prime. Cooked chicken that smells sour should go in the bin.

Texture. Sliminess is a red flag on meat, fish, and poultry even after rinsing. Produce that’s turned mushy or watery is past safe. Dairy that’s separated unusually or become lumpy is a sign of spoilage.

Colour. Grey-tinged chicken, green-spotted deli meat, or brown-edged greens all signal age. Note: beef and steak turning slightly brown in the fridge is often just oxidisation (myoglobin reacting with air) and doesn’t mean the meat is bad — smell it to be sure.

Mould. Visible mould on hard cheese can be cut off (cut at least 1 inch around and below the spot). On soft cheese, bread, or berries — discard the whole item. Mould roots can penetrate further than the visible surface.

When in doubt, throw it out. Food poisoning isn’t worth the risk over a few day-old leftovers.

Should you freeze it instead?

If you’re not going to eat something within its fridge window, freezing is almost always a better option than waiting and risking waste. Most food freezes well — including cooked meals, raw proteins, bread, and most baked goods.

Food that doesn’t freeze well: soft cheeses, mayo-based salads, whole eggs in shell, raw vegetables with high water content (cucumbers, lettuce), and cream-based sauces (they can split on thawing).

For a full guide on what to freeze and how, see our complete freezing guide.

How to make your fridge food last longer

Keep your fridge at or below 40°F (4°C). This is the single most effective thing you can do. At 40°F, bacterial growth is significantly slowed. At 45°F, it starts to pick up. Check your fridge temperature with an appliance thermometer — many fridges are set warmer than people realise.

Use airtight containers. Covering food with cling wrap is better than nothing, but an airtight lid is significantly more effective at preventing moisture loss, odour transfer, and bacterial contamination from the fridge environment.

Don’t leave food at room temperature for more than 2 hours. The 2-hour rule is a real guideline (1 hour if the room is above 90°F). Bacteria multiply fastest in the 40–140°F danger zone. Food left out for longer than 2 hours shouldn’t go back in the fridge — it should go in the bin.

Store raw meat on the bottom shelf. Meat juices drip. If raw chicken is above your salad or cheese, you have a contamination problem waiting to happen. Bottom shelf, always.

Don’t overfill your fridge. Cold air needs to circulate to keep everything at a consistent temperature. A packed fridge has warm spots. Keep some airflow around items, especially larger containers.

Frequently asked questions

Is food still good after 5 days in the fridge? Depends on what it is. Most cooked food hits its limit at 3–4 days. Some items — hard cheese, whole cabbage, carrots, condiments — are fine well beyond 5 days. If it’s cooked chicken, soup, or leftover rice: 5 days is past the safe window for most people.

Can you eat leftovers after 7 days? In most cases, no. The 3–4 day rule for cooked food exists because that’s when bacterial levels become risky, even if the food looks and smells fine. Seven-day-old leftovers carry real food poisoning risk.

What temperature should my fridge be? 40°F (4°C) or below. The FDA recommends 40°F as the maximum safe temperature. Many people keep their fridges around 37°F, which is ideal — cold enough to slow bacteria, not so cold that produce freezes.

What’s the 2-hour rule? Any perishable food that’s been at room temperature for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour above 90°F) should be discarded — not put back in the fridge. This applies to party food, forgotten takeaway, and anything left on the counter after cooking.

Should I wait for food to cool before refrigerating it? No — this is a common myth. The old advice to let food cool first before refrigerating was based on concerns about older fridges that couldn’t handle the heat load. Modern fridges handle it fine. Putting hot food straight in the fridge is safe and, in fact, faster at getting the food out of the danger zone. Don’t leave food on the counter “to cool” for 30–45 minutes.

Quick reference: food storage at a glance

Category	1–2 days	3–5 days	1–2 weeks	1+ months
Raw meat/fish	Ground beef, raw fish, shrimp, whole chicken	Steak, pork chops, roasts	—	—
Cooked food	—	Most leftovers, cooked grains, cooked veg	Hard-boiled eggs (1 week)	—
Dairy	—	Cottage cheese, ricotta	Soft cheese, opened milk, yoghurt	Hard cheese, butter
Produce	—	Cut fruit, berries, leafy greens	Bell peppers, mushrooms, celery	Carrots, whole cabbage, apples
Condiments	—	Opened hummus, fresh salsa	Opened pasta sauce	Ketchup, mustard, soy sauce

For more on specific foods, see our individual storage guides:

Storage times based on USDA FoodKeeper guidelines and FDA food safety recommendations. When in doubt, check FoodSafety.gov for the most current official guidance.