COLD STORAGE CHART COLD STORAGE CHART

Refrigerator Freezer Refrigerator Freezer Refrigerator Freezer Refrigerator Freezer Refrigerator Freezer
Product (40 °F) (0 °F) Product (40 °F) (0 °F) Product (40 °F) (0 °F) Product (40 °F) (0 °F) Product (40 °F) (0 °F)

Eggs Ham, Corned Beef Soups & Stews Beverages, Fruit Dough

Fresh, in shell 3 to 5 weeks Don’t freeze Corned beef, Vegetable or Juices in cartons, 3 weeks 8 to 12 Tube cans of rolls, Use-by date Don’t freeze
Raw yolks, whites 2 to 4 days 1 year in pouch with Drained, meat added 3 to 4 days 2 to 3 months fruit drinks, punch unopened months biscuits, pizza dough, etc.
pickling juices 5 to 7 days 1 month 7 to 10 days Ready-to-bake Use-by date 2 months
Hardcooked 1 week Don’t freeze
Ham, canned–labeled Meat Leftovers opened pie crust
well
“Keep Refrigerated” Cookie dough Use-by date 2 months
Liquid pasteurized opened 3 to 5 days 1 to 2 months Cooked meat and Dairy
eggs, egg substitutes, unopened
unopened 6 to 9 months Doesn’t freeze meat casseroles 3 to 4 days 2 to 3 months
opened 3 days Don’t freeze or opened
Gravy and meat broth 1 to 2 days 2 to 3 months Butter 1 to 3 months 6 to 9
well Ham, fully cooked months
vacuum sealed at Fish
unopened 10 days 1 year plant, undated, Fresh Poultry Buttermilk 7 to 14 days 3 months
unopened 2 weeks 1 to 2 months Cheese, Hard 6 months, 6 months Lean fish (cod, 1 to 2 days 6 months
Mayonnaise Chicken or turkey, (such as Cheddar, unopened flounder, haddock,
Ham, fully cooked whole 1 to 2 days 1 year Swiss) 3 to 4 weeks, sole etc.)
commercial vacuum sealed at “use by” date
Chicken or turkey, opened Fatty fish (bluefish, 1 to 2 days 2 to 3
refrigerate after plant, dated, unopened on package 1 to 2 months
pieces 1 to 2 days 9 months Cheese Soft 1 week 6 months mackerel, salmon, etc.) months
opening 2 months Doesn’t freeze Ham, fully cooked
Giblets 1 to 2 days 3 to 4 months (such as Brie, Bel Paese) Cooked fish 3 to 4 days 4 to 6 months
whole 7 days 1 to 2 months
Deli & Vacuum-Packed Products Ham, fully cooked Cottage Cheese, 1 week Doesn’t Smoked fish 14 days or 2 months
Cooked Poultry Ricotta freeze well
half 3 to 5 days 1 to 2 months date on in vacuum
Store-prepared Cream Cheese 2 weeks Doesn’t vacuum package
Ham, fully cooked Fried chicken 3 to 4 days 4 months
(or homemade) egg, freeze well package
chicken, ham, tuna, Don’t freeze slices 3 to 4 days 1 to 2 months Cooked poultry
macaroni salads 3 to 5 days well casseroles 3 to 4 days 4 to 6 months Cream—Whipped, 1 month Doesn’t
Hamburger, Ground & Stew Meat ultrapasteurized freeze Shellfish
Pieces, plain 3 to 4 days 4 months
Hot dogs & Luncheon Meats Cream—Whipped, 1 day 1 to 2
Hamburger & Pieces covered with Shrimp, scallops, 1 to 2 days 3 to 6
Sweetened months crayfish, squid, shucked months
Hot dogs, stew meat 1 to 2 days 3 to 4 months broth, gravy 1 to 2 days 6 months
Cream—Aerosol can, 3 to 4 weeks Doesn’t clams, mussels and oysters
opened package 1 week 1 to 2 months Ground turkey, veal, Chicken nuggets, patties 1 to 2 days 1 to 3 months
real whipped cream freeze Live clams, mussels, 2 to 3 days 2 to 3
unopened package 2 weeks 1 to 2 months pork, lamb &
Pizza Cream—Aerosol can, 3 months Doesn’t crab, lobster and oysters months
Luncheon meats, mixtures of them 1 to 2 days 3 to 4 months
opened package 3 to 5 days 1 to 2 months non dairy topping freeze Cooked shellfish 3 to 4 days 3 months
unopened package 2 weeks 1 to 2 months Pizza 3 to 4 days 1 to 2 months Cream, Half and Half 3 to 4 days 4 months
Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb, Pork
Eggnog, commercial 3 to 5 days 6 months
Bacon & Sausage 6 to 12 Stuffing
Margarine 4 to 5 months 12 months
Steaks 3 to 5 days months
Bacon 7 days 1 month Stuffing—cooked 3 to 4 days 1 month Milk 7 days 3 months
Chops 3 to 5 days 4 to 6 months Note: Storage times are from date of purchase unless
Sausage, raw from Pudding package date; Doesn’t
4 to 12 specified on chart. It is not important if a date expires after
chicken, turkey, 2 days after freeze
Roasts 3 to 5 days months food is frozen.
pork, beef 1 to 2 days 1 to 2 months opening
Variety meats—tongue,
Smoked breakfast Sour cream 7 to 21 days Doesn’t
liver, heart, kidneys,
links, patties 7 days 1 to 2 months Note: These short but safe time limits will help keep freeze
chitterlings 1 to 2 days 3 to 4 months
Hard sausage— refrigerated foods from spoiling or becoming dangerous to Yogurt 7 to 14 days 1 to 2
Pre-stuffed, uncooked
pepperoni, jerky eat. months
pork chops, lamb chops,
sticks 2 to 3 weeks 1 to 2 months or chicken breast stuffed Don’t freeze Sources:
Because freezing keeps food safe indefinitely, recom- • USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service
Summer sausage–labeled with dressing 1 day well mended storage times are for quality only. • The Food Keeper, The Food Marketing Institute
“Keep Refrigerated”
opened 3 weeks 1 to 2 months U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Food and Drug Administration
unopened 3 months 1 to 2 months Food Safety and Inspection Service Center for Food Safety and Applied
www.fsis.usda.gov Nutrition
www.cfsan.fda.gov
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline
1 (800) 535-4555 FDA Food Information Line
In Washington, DC: (202) 720-3333 1 (888) SAFEFOOD (toll-free)
TTY: 1 (800) 256-7072

Be Cool—Chill Out! Refrigerate Promptly.

Copyright  2001 by the National Restaurant Association
Educational Foundation’s International Food Safety Council