Shelf life database

title: Food Shelf Life Database: Complete Storage Times by Category

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TL;DR Dairy Products Shelf Life Grains and Baked Goods Shelf Life Key Takeaways

TL;DR

Food shelf life varies dramatically by category and storage condition. Dairy lasts 1-4 weeks refrigerated; hard grains 1-10 years in dry storage; frozen meat 4-12 months at -18 °C. The single most important factor for extending shelf life is temperature control: every 10 °C reduction halves spoilage rates. This database provides shelf life data for all major food categories with scientific context for why shelf life differs within each group.

Dairy Products Shelf Life

Product Refrigerated (4 °C) Frozen (-18 °C) Room Temp Key Spoilage Driver

Fresh Milk 5-7 days 3 months 2 hours Bacterial growth (psychrotrophs)

UHT Milk 2-4 weeks (opened) Not recommended 6-9 months (unopened) Lipolysis, proteolysis

Hard Cheese 2-8 weeks (wrapped) 6 months 1-2 weeks Mold growth, moisture loss

Soft Cheese 1-2 weeks 2 months 2-4 hours Bacterial spoilage, lipolysis

Butter (Salted) 3-6 months 9-12 months 1-2 weeks Lipolytic rancidity

Butter (Unsalted) 1-3 months 6-9 months Fewer days Oxidative rancidity, microbial

Yogurt 2-4 weeks 2 months 2 hours Post-acidification, whey separation

Ice Cream N/A 2-4 months 30 min (melted) Recrystallization, fat destabilization

Grains and Baked Goods Shelf Life

Product Room Temp Refrigerated Frozen Key Spoilage Driver

White Rice 2+ years N/A N/A Lipid oxidation, insect infestation

Brown Rice 6-8 months 1 year 2 years Lipid rancidity (germ oil)

White Flour 1 year (pantry) 2 years 5 years Insect infestation, rancidity

Whole Wheat Flour 3-6 months 6-12 months 2 years Germ oil rancidity

Fresh Bread 3-7 days 7-14 days 3-6 months Starch retrogradation, mold

Dry Pasta 2-3 years N/A N/A Moisture migration, texture loss

Key Takeaways

Dairy spoils fastest: even refrigerated, fresh dairy lasts only 1-2 weeks Dry goods last longest: low aw ( Frozen shelf life is limited by quality (not safety)—enzymes still active below 0 °F Salted butter lasts 2-3× longer than unsalted due to microbial inhibition Whole grains spoil faster than refined grains because the oil-rich germ remains

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