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.

Storage mistakes that shorten shelf life

Half the time food goes off early it's not the food's fault, it's where you put it. A few common slip-ups quietly knock days off things you paid for.

  • Bread in the fridge. The cold turns it stale faster, not slower. Keep it in a bread bin or, if you won't finish it in a few days, freeze it sliced.
  • Tomatoes, onions and potatoes in the cold. Tomatoes go mealy, potatoes turn sweet and sprout near onions. Keep them out at room temperature and apart.
  • Fridge door for milk and eggs. The door is the warmest, most temperature-swingy spot. Milk lasts longer on a middle shelf at the back.
  • Washing berries before storing. Damp fruit moulds fast. Wash it only when you're about to eat it.
  • Loose herbs in a bag. Stand soft herbs like coriander in a glass of water, loosely covered, and they'll go days longer.
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Fridge temperature

Aim for around 4°C or just under. Many fridges run warmer than the dial suggests. A cheap fridge thermometer costs a couple of quid and can add real days to everything inside.

How to actually tell if it's gone off

Dates are a guide. Your eyes, nose and hands are the real test. When something is near or past a best before, run through this before you bin it:

  1. Look. Fuzzy mould, slime, a dull grey sheen on meat, or a swollen or bulging tin or lid is a hard no. Bin it.
  2. Smell. Sour milk, sulphurous eggs, or a sharp off smell on fish or meat means it's done. Trust this over any date.
  3. Touch. Sliminess on meat, chicken or bagged salad is a clear stop sign. Dry or slightly hard is usually just stale, not dangerous.
  4. Test, if in doubt. Float an egg in water: sinks and lies flat is fresh, stands up is borderline, floats means bin it.
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Don't gamble on these

With cooked rice, reheated chicken, shellfish and anything with a bulging tin, when in doubt, throw it out. The saving isn't worth a rough couple of days.

The freezer buys you time

Most food that's near its date can be frozen and paused. It won't reverse anything, so freeze it while it's still good, not the night it turns.

  • Bread, cheese, cooked meat, milk and butter all freeze fine. Grate cheese first so you can grab a handful.
  • Batch what's about to turn. Overripe bananas, leftover herbs (chopped into an ice-cube tray with a little oil), and veg on its last day all freeze well for cooking later.
  • Label with the date. Frozen food is safe for a long time but quality drops after roughly three to six months, and unlabelled bags become mystery meat.
Written by Ashutosh Sharma

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to eat food past its best before date?
Usually, yes. Best before is about quality, not safety, so things like tinned goods, pasta, crisps and biscuits are often fine well past it, just less fresh. The one to respect is use by, which is a safety date on things like meat, fish and ready meals. Don't eat past a use-by date.
How long does cooked food last in the fridge?
As a rule of thumb, most cooked leftovers are good for around 2 to 3 days in the fridge, kept covered. Cool them within a couple of hours of cooking, then refrigerate. Reheat until piping hot all the way through, and only reheat once. If it smells off or looks slimy, bin it regardless of the day count.
Can I refreeze food that's been defrosted?
Don't refreeze raw food that's been thawed, as bacteria multiply while it sits defrosted. The safe move is to cook the defrosted raw food, then freeze the cooked version, which is fine. Anything defrosted and left at room temperature for hours should be cooked promptly or thrown away rather than put back.
Does washing fruit and veg before storing make it last longer?
Usually the opposite. Extra moisture speeds up mould and rot, so berries, mushrooms and salad leaves last longer stored dry and washed only when you're about to eat them. Root veg is best kept unwashed and out of the fridge. The exception is prepping something you'll eat within a day or two.
Why does my bread go stale so quickly?
Often it's the fridge. Chilling bread actually speeds up staling. Keep it in a bread bin at room temperature and it lasts longer, though it'll mould faster in a warm kitchen. If you can't finish a loaf in a few days, freeze it sliced and toast straight from frozen, no defrosting needed.

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