Safe Storage Times for Food

So how long can you store that leftover meatloaf anyway?  Have you ever opened a container from your refrigerator and sniffed it to see if it was still edible?  With the date codes printed on food items these days it's easier to know how long an item can be shelved in your kitchen, but once the item is opened or cooked the expiration date and use by date may not be as important as when the item was first cooked or exposed to air. 

The date codes on boxes, cans, and other packed foods are printed on the surface of the food packaging from high speed coding equipment such as the Matthews e-Mark C02 laser coding system, the e-Solarmark C02 system, and
Leibinger's Jet2Neo and Jet 3 inkjet systems are key elements to clear marking and coding solutions for food manufacturers and producers.

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See the chart below for suggested storage times for refigerated and frozen foods:

Product	Refrigerator 40 °F (4.4 ºC)	Freezer 0 °F (-17.7 ºC)
Eggs
Fresh, in shell	3 to 5 weeks	Do not freeze
Raw yolks & whites	2 to 4 days	1 year
Hard cooked	1 week	Does not freeze well
Liquid pasteurized eggs, egg substitutes
Opened	3 days	Does not freeze well
Unopened	10 days	1 year
Mayonnaise, Commercial
Refrigerate after opening	2 months	Do not freeze
Frozen Dinners & Entrees
Keep frozen until ready to heat	--	3 to 4 months
Deli & Vacuum-Packed Products
Store-prepared (or homemade) egg, chicken, ham, tuna, & macaroni salads	3 to 5 days	Does not freeze well
Hot dogs & Luncheon Meats
Hot dogs
Opened package	1 week	1 to 2 months
Unopened package	2 weeks	1 to 2 months
Luncheon meat
Opened package	3 to 5 days	1 to 2 months
Unopened package	2 weeks	1 to 2 months
Bacon & Sausage
Bacon	7 days	1 month
Sausage, raw — from chicken, turkey, pork, beef	1 to 2 days	1 to 2 months
Smoked breakfast links, patties	7 days	1 to 2 months
Hard sausage — pepperoni, jerky sticks	2 to 3 weeks	1 to 2 months
Summer sausage labeled "Keep Refrigerated"
Opened	3 weeks	1 to 2 months
Unopened	3 months	1 to 2 months
Corned Beef
Corned beef, in pouch with pickling juices	5 to 7 days	Drained, 1 month
Ham, canned labeled "Keep Refrigerated"
Opened	3 to 5 days	1 to 2 months
Unopened	6 to 9 months	Do not freeze
Ham, fully cooked
Vacuum sealed at plant, undated, unopened	2 weeks	1 to 2 months
Vacuum sealed at plant, dated, unopened	"Use-By" date on package	1 to 2 months
Whole	7 days	1 to 2 months
Half	3 to 5 days	1 to 2 months
Slices	3 to 4 days	1 to 2 months
Hamburger, Ground & Stew Meat
Hamburger & stew meat	1 to 2 days	3 to 4 months
Ground turkey, veal, pork, lamb, & mixtures of them	1 to 2 days	3 to 4 months
Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb, Pork
Steaks	3 to 5 days	6 to 12 months
Chops	3 to 5 days	4 to 6 months
Roasts	3 to 5 days	4 to 12 months
Variety meats — tongue, liver, heart, kidneys, chitterlings	1 to 2 days	3 to 4 months
Pre-stuffed, uncooked pork chops, lamb chops, or chicken breasts stuffed with dressing	1 day	Does not freeze well
Soups & Stews Vegetable or meat added	3 to 4 days	2 to 3 months
Fresh Poultry
Chicken or turkey, whole	1 to 2 days	1 year
Chicken or turkey, pieces	1 to 2 days	9 months
Giblets	1 to 2 days	3 to 4 months
Cooked Meat and Poultry Leftovers
Cooked meat & meat casseroles	3 to 4 days	2 to 3 months
Gravy & meat broth	3 to 4 days	2 to 3 months
Fried chicken	3 to 4 days	4 months
Cooked poultry casseroles	3 to 4 days	4 to 6 months
Poultry pieces, plain	3 to 4 days	4 months
Poultry pieces in broth, gravy	3 to 4 days	6 months
Chicken nuggets, patties	3 to 4 days	1 to 3 months
Other Cooked Leftovers
Pizza, cooked	3 to 4 days	1 to 2 months
Stuffing, cooked	3 to 4 days	1 month

Source: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/basics-for-handling-food-safely