Freezing stops food from spoiling. It does not make it last forever, and it does not undo spoilage that started before the food went in.
The chart below gives fridge and freezer limits for the food people ask about most. The sections after it link to a specific answer for individual ingredients, dishes and leftovers.
Fridge 40°F or below · Freezer 0°F
Between 40°F and 140°F is the range where bacteria multiply fastest. Food should not sit there longer than two hours.
Safe internal temperatures
| Food | Safe minimum internal temperature | Rest time |
|---|---|---|
| Raw poultry, whole or in parts | Fridge 1–2 days | Freezer 9–12 months |
| Raw ground meat and ground poultry | Fridge 1–2 days | Freezer 3–4 months |
| Raw steaks, chops and roasts | Fridge 3–5 days | Freezer 4–12 months |
| Raw lean fish (cod, haddock, tilapia) | Fridge 1–2 days | Freezer 6–8 months |
| Raw fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel) | Fridge 1–2 days | Freezer 2–3 months |
| Raw shrimp, scallops and shellfish | Fridge 1–2 days | Freezer 3–12 months |
| Cooked meat, poultry and leftovers | Fridge 3–4 days | Freezer 2–6 months |
| Soups and stews | Fridge 3–4 days | Freezer 2–3 months |
| Hard-cooked eggs | Fridge 1 week | Do not freeze |
Temperatures on this page follow the USDA Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. Always measure with a food thermometer in the thickest part of the food, away from bone, fat and gristle.
How long food lasts
Fridge limits are about safety and quality together. Most cooked dishes are done at three to four days, well before they look or smell wrong.
Freezing
Food frozen at 0°F stays safe indefinitely. The time limits below are about quality — texture, colour and flavour degrade long before the food becomes unsafe.
Thawing and defrosting
There are three safe methods: in the fridge, in cold water changed every 30 minutes, or in the microwave followed immediately by cooking. Leaving food on the counter is not one of them.
Fridge, pantry and counter
Where something is stored matters as much as how long. The door of the fridge is its warmest shelf, which is why milk and eggs do better further inside.
| Question | Oven temp |
|---|---|
| How Long Can You Leave Ground Beef In The Fridge? | — |
| How Long Can You Marinate Chicken In The Fridge? | — |
| How Long Cooked Fish In Fridge? | — |
| How To Store Cooked Lasagna Noodles? | — |
Signs food has gone bad
Smell and appearance catch spoilage bacteria, which make food unpleasant. They do not reliably catch the pathogens that make people ill, which is why the time limits exist.
The two-hour rule
Bacteria multiply fastest between 40°F and 140°F, a range usually called the danger zone. Perishable food should not stay there for more than two hours in total.
Above 90°F — a hot kitchen, a car, a picnic table in the sun — that allowance drops to one hour.
Frequently asked questions
How long do leftovers keep in the fridge?
Three to four days at 40°F or below. After that they should be frozen or thrown out, even if they still look and smell fine.
Does food go bad in the freezer?
Food held at a steady 0°F stays safe indefinitely. What degrades is quality — freezer burn, dryness and loss of flavour — which is what the month ranges in the chart describe.
Is it safe to thaw food on the counter?
No. The outside of the food reaches room temperature long before the middle thaws, giving bacteria hours to multiply on the surface. Use the fridge, cold water, or the microwave.
Can I refreeze food that has already been thawed?
Yes, if it was thawed in the refrigerator and has stayed cold. Food thawed in cold water or a microwave has to be cooked first, because parts of it will have warmed past 40°F.
Do sell-by and best-before dates mean the food is unsafe after that day?
No. Apart from infant formula, those dates are the manufacturer’s estimate of peak quality, not a safety deadline. Storage time and temperature decide safety.