A huge amount of food gets thrown away while it's still perfectly good, because people confuse date labels. Learn what the dates mean and how long staples really keep, and you'll waste far less.

Know your date labels

  • Use by — about safety. Don't eat it after this date (meat, fish, dairy).
  • Best before — about quality. Usually fine to eat after, just past its peak (tins, pasta, crisps).

Rough shelf life of staples

  • Eggs: 3–5 weeks in the fridge. Fresh ones sink in water; floaters are old.
  • Milk: ~4–7 days after opening; smell tells you.
  • Bread: a few days at room temp — freeze half to make it last.
  • Cooked leftovers: 3–4 days in the fridge; label them.
  • Raw chicken: 1–2 days fridge, months frozen.
  • Hard cheese: weeks; cut mould off hard cheese, bin soft cheese that moulds.
  • Dry goods (rice, pasta, tins): months to years.
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Use your senses

For “best before” items, trust look, smell and taste over the date. For “use by” items, respect the date — some bacteria give no warning signs.

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Waste less

Freeze anything approaching its date, and shop to a plan — see grocery shopping for one person.