How long does food keep?
Search a food or tap a group to see how long it stays safe in the fridge, the freezer and the cupboard. When in doubt, throw it out.
When in doubt, throw it out.
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The rules that matter most
Cooked food, meat, dairy and cut fruit should not sit out more than 2 hours in total. Above 32°C, for example in a car, at the beach or at an outdoor gathering, the limit is 1 hour.
Put leftovers in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking. Split big pots into small shallow boxes so they cool quickly. Cooked rice should be cooled within about 1 hour.
Keep the fridge at 4°C or colder (never above 5°C) and the freezer at −18°C. A cheap fridge thermometer tells you if it is cold enough.
Reheat leftovers only once, until steaming hot all the way through (74°C in the middle). Stir microwaved food so there are no cold spots.
Rice can carry spores that survive cooking. If cooked rice is left warm, they grow and make toxins that reheating does not destroy. Cool it quickly, keep it in the fridge and eat it within 24 hours.
Food kept frozen at −18°C stays safe, but its taste and texture fade, so the freezer times are for quality. Thaw in the fridge, not on the counter, and use thawed food within 24 hours.
Throw away bread, soft fruit, yogurt and cooked food with any mould. Many germs that cause food poisoning do not change the smell or taste, so "it smells fine" is not a test.
Sources: FoodSafety.gov (US government) Cold Food Storage Chart, and Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures (leftovers 74°C/165°F); USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (2-hour rule, 1 hour above 32°C/90°F; frozen food at −18°C/0°F stays safe, times are for quality); the FoodKeeper guide by the Food Marketing Institute and Cornell University, the basis of the USDA FoodKeeper (dairy, bread, fruit, vegetables, sauces, dried fruit, baby food jars); UK Food Standards Agency: Chilling, freezing and defrosting (fridge 0 to 5°C, eat leftovers within 48 hours, use defrosted food within 24 hours, reheat only once) and Cooking and reheating safely (cooked rice: cool within about 1 hour, use within 24 hours); Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority advice reported by Emarat Al Youm, 29 August 2020 (fridge 5°C, freezer −18°C, cool cooked food within 2 hours, don't eat food more than 2 hours out of the fridge); Dubai Municipality food safety campaign advice reported by Khaleej Times, 19 April 2017 (fridge 4°C, freezer −18°C, served food out no more than 2 hours); US CDC (expressed breast milk and prepared infant formula); Global Cold Chain Alliance Commodity Storage Manual (dates); UConn Extension, Handling food with mould (based on USDA guidance). Where sources differ, this page shows the safer time. Last checked: 27 October 2026. General guidance, not medical advice: always follow the use-by date and the label.