The Dating Game: Food Dating, That Is
Storage of Fresh or Uncooked Products |
|
Product |
Storage Times After Purchase |
Poultry |
1 or 2 days |
Beef, Veal, Pork and Lamb |
3 to 5 days |
Ground Meat and Ground Poultry |
1 or 2 days |
Fresh Variety Meats (Liver, Tongue, Brain, Kidneys, Heart, Chitterlings) |
1 or 2 days |
Cured Ham, Cook-Before-Eating |
5 to 7 days |
Sausage from Pork, Beef or Turkey, Uncooked |
1 or 2 days |
Eggs |
3 to 5 weeks |
Storage of Processed Products Sealed at Plant |
||
Processed Product |
Unopened, After Purchase |
After Opening |
Cooked Poultry |
3 to 4 days |
3 to 4 days |
Cooked Sausage |
3 to 4 days |
3 to 4 days |
Sausage, Hard/Dry, shelf-stable |
6 weeks/pantry |
3 weeks |
Corned Beef, uncooked, in pouch with pickling juices |
5 to 7 days |
3 to 4 days |
Vacuum-packed Dinners, Commercial Brand with USDA seal |
2 weeks |
3 to 4 days |
Bacon |
2 weeks |
7 days |
Hot dogs |
2 weeks * |
1 week |
Luncheon meat |
2 weeks * |
3 to 5 days |
Ham, fully cooked |
7 days |
slices, 3 days; whole, 7 days |
Ham, canned, labeled “keep refrigerated” |
9 months |
3 to 4 days |
Ham, canned, shelf stable |
2 years/pantry |
3 to 5 days |
Canned Meat and Poultry, shelf stable |
2 to 5 years/pantry |
3 to 4 days |
* No longer than one week after “Sell by” date |