Freezer and fridge storage times: the official cold-storage chart
"Is this still good?" is a temperature question too. The official cold-storage chart published by FoodSafety.gov (with FDA and USDA) gives refrigerator and freezer times for every category of food, and it rests on one safety fact worth memorizing: food kept constantly frozen at 0 °F (−18 °C) is safe indefinitely — freezer times are quality deadlines, not safety cliffs. The fridge column is different: it is a real safety window.
Key takeaways
- Freezer at 0 °F (−18 °C): frozen food stays safe indefinitely; the chart's freezer months are for quality only.
- Fridge at 40 °F (4.4 °C) or below: the fridge columns are safety windows (ground meat 1–2 days; cooked leftovers 3–4 days).
- Whole chicken or turkey: 1 year in the freezer; steaks and roasts: 4–12 months; bacon: 1 month.
- Raw eggs keep 3–5 weeks in the fridge but are not frozen in the shell.
The official chart (selected rows, verbatim values)
| Food | Type | Refrigerator (40 °F / 4.4 °C) | Freezer (0 °F / −18 °C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salads (egg, chicken, ham, tuna, macaroni) | Prepared | 3 to 4 days | Does not freeze well |
| Hot dogs | Opened package | 1 week | 1 to 2 months |
| Hot dogs | Unopened package | 2 weeks | 1 to 2 months |
| Luncheon meat | Opened / deli-sliced | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Bacon | — | 1 week | 1 month |
| Sausage, raw (chicken, turkey, pork, beef) | — | 1 to 2 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Sausage, fully cooked | — | 1 week | 1 to 2 months |
| Hamburger & ground meats/poultry | All types and mixtures | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months |
| Fresh beef, veal, lamb, pork | Steaks | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 12 months |
| Fresh beef, veal, lamb, pork | Chops | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 12 months |
| Fresh beef, veal, lamb, pork | Roasts | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 12 months |
| Ham, fresh, uncured, uncooked | — | 3 to 5 days | 6 months |
| Ham, fully cooked, vacuum-sealed at plant, unopened | — | 2 weeks or "use by" date | 1 to 2 months |
| Ham, cooked, store-wrapped, whole | — | 1 week | 1 to 2 months |
| Ham, cooked, slices / half / spiral | — | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Fresh poultry | Chicken or turkey, whole | 1 to 2 days | 1 year |
| Fresh poultry | Chicken or turkey, pieces | 1 to 2 days | 9 months |
| Fish, fatty (salmon, tuna, mackerel, catfish…) | — | 1 to 3 days | 2 to 3 months |
| Fish, lean (cod, flounder, halibut, sole…) | — | 1 to 3 days | 6 to 8 months |
| Shrimp and crayfish | — | 3 to 5 days | 6 to 18 months |
| Eggs, raw in shell | — | 3 to 5 weeks | Do not freeze in shell (beat yolks and whites together, then freeze) |
| Eggs, hard-cooked | — | 1 week | Do not freeze |
| Casseroles with eggs | After baking | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 3 months |
| Soups and stews | Vegetable or meat added | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 3 months |
| Leftovers | Cooked meat or poultry | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 6 months |
| Leftovers | Chicken nuggets or patties | 3 to 4 days | 1 to 3 months |
| Leftovers | Pizza | 3 to 4 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Pies | Pumpkin or pecan, after baking | 3 to 4 days | 1 to 2 months |
Storage times assume a fridge at 40 °F (4.4 °C) or below and a freezer at 0 °F (−18 °C) — the settings FSIS specifies. Appliance thermometers (not just the dial) are the official way to verify both; see thermometer types and calibration.
Safety column vs quality column
The asymmetry in that table is the point. Refrigeration slows bacterial growth; it does not stop it, so the fridge column is a genuine safety deadline — day five of refrigerated ground meat is not a judgment call. Freezing at 0 °F (−18 °C) halts bacterial growth entirely, so freezer times mark quality decline (rancidity, freezer burn, texture) on food that remains safe to eat whenever you thaw it. That is why a 10-month-old steak is safe but might not be delicious, and why "safe indefinitely at 0 °F" is the sentence FSIS leads with on freezing.
Thawing, safely
The chart implies a follow-up question: how do you get frozen food back above 40 °F (4.4 °C) without parking it in the danger zone (40–140 °F / 4.4–60 °C)? FSIS's "Big Thaw" guidance lists three safe methods — in the refrigerator (slow, planful), in cold water (leak-proof bag, water changed every 30 minutes), or in the microwave (cook immediately after) — and never on the counter, where the surface enters the danger zone while the centre is still frozen. Once thawed in the fridge, foods keep the fridge-life of their category; foods thawed in water or microwave should be cooked promptly. And refreezing is allowed by FSIS for meat and poultry thawed in the refrigerator, with a quality penalty.
How this connects to the temperature charts
Storage and cooking are two halves of one system: the freezer holds food at 0 °F (−18 °C), the fridge at ≤ 40 °F (4.4 °C), reheating takes it to 165 °F (73.9 °C), and the cooling rules in our leftovers guide cover the trip back down. For the cook-side numbers, see the master temperature chart; for egg-specific storage and cooking, egg safety temperatures.
Educational reference, not personalized advice
"When in doubt, throw it out" is FSIS's own guidance: spoiled or possibly mishandled food can be unsafe without smelling or looking bad. People at higher risk of foodborne illness should be extra conservative with storage deadlines.
Related reading
- Leftover safety: the 2-hour rule and 3–4 day fridge window
- Reheating temperatures: 165 °F (73.9 °C)
- The complete safe internal temperature chart
- Egg safety temperatures
Sources verified: 2026-11-16. FoodSafety.gov — Cold Food Storage Chart · USDA FSIS — Freezing and Food Safety (0 °F / safe indefinitely) · USDA FSIS — The Big Thaw (safe defrosting). Official numbers only — never rounded.