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.
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 sausagelabeled “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, cannedlabeled “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 & StewsVegetable 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 |