The date on the package is a starting point, not the full answer. "Best by," "sell by," and "use by" mean different things depending on the manufacturer, and none of them account for how long something has actually been open in your fridge. Below is a practical reference for how long common groceries really last once refrigerated, organized by category, with the number that matters most: how long after opening.
One baseline that applies to everything on this list: your fridge should hold at 40°F (4°C) or below. A few degrees warmer and every estimate here shrinks.
Dairy and eggs
| Item | Fridge life |
|---|---|
| Milk (opened) | 5–7 days |
| Yogurt | 1–2 weeks past the date |
| Hard cheese (opened) | 3–4 weeks |
| Soft cheese (opened) | 1 week |
| Butter | 1–3 months |
| Eggs | 3–5 weeks |
Eggs last far longer than most people assume. If you're unsure whether one's still good, the float test works: submerge it in water, and if it sinks and lies flat, it's fine.
Meat, poultry, and seafood
| Item | Fridge life (raw) |
|---|---|
| Poultry | 1–2 days |
| Ground meat | 1–2 days |
| Steaks, chops, roasts | 3–5 days |
| Fresh fish | 1–2 days |
| Shellfish | 1–2 days |
| Cooked leftovers (any protein) | 3–4 days |
This category has the least room for error. When in doubt, the freezer is the safer call, raw meat and poultry both freeze well for months without a meaningful quality hit.
Produce
| Item | Fridge life |
|---|---|
| Leafy greens | 3–7 days |
| Berries | 3–6 days |
| Apples | 3–4 weeks |
| Citrus | 2–3 weeks |
| Carrots and root vegetables | 3–4 weeks |
| Fresh herbs | 1–2 weeks |
- Don't wash berries until you're ready to eat them, moisture speeds up mold
- Store herbs upright in a jar of water, loosely covered, like cut flowers
- Keep ethylene-producing fruit (apples, bananas) away from leafy greens, which are ethylene-sensitive and wilt faster near them
Condiments and sauces
| Item | Fridge life (opened) |
|---|---|
| Mayonnaise | 2 months |
| Ketchup | 6 months |
| Mustard | ~1 year |
| Salad dressing | 1–3 months |
| Jam or preserves | 6–12 months |
The gap between "unopened" and "opened" is the one people most often get wrong. An unopened jar of mayo can sit safely for months past its date, but the moment it's opened, that window shrinks dramatically because it's now exposed to air and repeated utensil contact.
Trust your senses, not just the calendar
These ranges are estimates for food stored properly and consistently refrigerated, not guarantees. Sour smell, sliminess, visible mold, or an "off" texture are all reasons to toss something regardless of what the date says. When something looks and smells fine and falls within these windows, it's almost always fine to eat.
Remembering which of these numbers applies to which open container in your fridge is the actual hard part, not knowing the numbers themselves. That's the specific problem SavrBite's expiry tracking is built to solve: log an item once, and it tracks the countdown for you instead of you trying to remember when you opened the mustard. Pair it with the habits in our food waste guide for the biggest impact.
Frequently asked questions
Is food still safe to eat after the printed date?
In most cases, yes. Printed dates like "best by" or "sell by" are about peak quality, not safety, and are set by the manufacturer, not a hard safety cutoff. Use your senses alongside the date rather than treating it as absolute, especially for shelf-stable and lightly perishable items.
Does opening a package shorten its shelf life?
Almost always. An unopened jar of mayonnaise can sit in the fridge for months, but once it's opened, exposure to air and repeated dipping introduces bacteria that shorten its safe window to a matter of weeks. Treat the "opened" shelf life, not the unopened one, as the number that applies once you've broken the seal.
What fridge temperature keeps food fresh longest?
40°F (4°C) or below. Every few degrees above that measurably shortens how long perishables stay safe, so it's worth checking your fridge with an actual thermometer rather than trusting the dial.