You open the fridge and excavate a container of tofu that’s been hiding behind the beer, only to find that its “best by” date passed last week. It looks okay—nothing blue and fuzzy going on—but the phrase “When in doubt, throw it out” is lodged in your head, right where your parents stuck it, and so you toss it. You’re not alone.
Food waste accounts for more trash than any other type in the U.S., yet manufacturers slap all kinds of dates on packaged grub, tacitly encouraging people to turn potentially good food into even more rubbish. Confusion over what these dates mean is a leading cause of food waste in U.S. homes. According to ReFED, a nonprofit focused on food waste solutions, opaque dates led to 3.8 million tons (about 8%) of household chucked grub in 2022; across all sectors (that includes stores and restaurants), that total is 6.5 million tons.1
What do expiration dates mean?
The dates stamped on food aren’t necessarily indicators of a product’s safety as much as when it’s at its highest quality. It’s like this:
How long do foods actually last?
In the interest of keeping edible chow out of the landfill, we decided to dig into how long packaged foods—specifically, the Earth-friendly equivalents of commonly tossed vittles—can remain safe to eat. The internet will feed you enough advice on this front to make your head spin, but we got dizzy so you don’t have to and compiled the best guidance for the longevity of pantry and fridge staples.
And remember, none of this is an exact science. Think of these as guidelines, and use your best judgment before feeding yourself or your friends and family.
Food life expectancy, at a glance
| Pantry Life | Fridge Life | It’s Bad When | |
|---|---|---|---|
Eggs (store-bought) | – | Up to 4-5 weeks past “Julian date” (usually below “sell by” on the side of the carton) | Eggs float when uncracked, smell, or have discolored white or yolk |
Bread (packaged) | 4 days | 2 weeks | It’s moldy |
Nondairy Milk | Shelf-stable, up to 10 months | Unopened and not shelf stable, 1 month past “best by”; across the board, up to 10 days after opening | It smells off; the carton leaks or bulges |
Nondairy Yogurt & Cheese | – | 3 days to 2 weeks after “best by” date | It’s moldy |
Plant-based Deli “Meat” | – | Unopened, up to 6 weeks; after opening, up to 7 days | It’s slimy, moldy, or it smells or looks off. |
Plant-based “Meat” | – | Unopened, up to 10 days; opened, up to 3 days | The package is puffed; the “meat” smells sour or is slimy |
Tofu | Shelf-stable, a year or more | Unopened, 2-3 months past “best by” date; opened, 10 days, stored in water in sealed container | It’s moldy, it’s darkly discolored, or it looks or smells off |
Canned Beans & Veggies | Indefinitely, though acidic foods like tomatoes may discolor | Acidic foods, 5-7 days after opening; non-acidic foods 3-5 days | The can bulges; contents smell off |
Condiments & Sauces | Unopened indefinitely; opened and shelf-stable, 3 months (more if you don’t mind some discoloration) | 1 year after opening | It’s moldy, or it looks or smells bad |
Tinned Mussels & Oysters | Up to 5 years | 3-4 days after opening | The can bulges; the contents smell or look off |
- ReFED Insights Engine, Nov. 2023 ↩︎