One practical step
Everyday LifeArrange the fridge around storage limits
Check opening dates, cooking dates and label instructions before making soon-to-use food visible.
- Time: Not specified
- Cost: Not specified
- Impact: Not specified
- Difficulty: Not specified
- Evidence not rated
Done when
See which foods to use before they spoil.
Check opening dates, cooking dates and label instructions before making soon-to-use food visible.
Who this is for
For shared fridges; consult owners and never taste-test safety.
Why this matters
Dates and placement help identify what to use next.
How to do it
Guidance compiled from the references below; follow the applicability notes for this item.
- Check labels: use-by concerns safety and best-before concerns quality. Check opening or cooking dates and storage history; smell alone is not a safety test.
- Keep soon-to-use food visible and raw foods leakproof and separate.
- Check the fridge is at most 4°C; discard food beyond safe storage limits or with uncertain history.
Evidence and references
- Other4 Steps to Food Safety(Opens in a new tab)FoodSafety.govClean utensils, separate raw and ready-to-eat food, prompt shallow-container refrigeration, at most 4°C refrigeration, and two-hour/one-hour hot-weather limits. อ่านประกอบการเรียบเรียง / Accessed: 2026-10-05
- OtherUse-by and best-before dates(Opens in a new tab)Food Standards ScotlandUse-by safety limits differ from best-before quality dates; storage instructions matter and smell cannot establish the safety of use-by foods. No country-specific labelling law is asserted. อ่านประกอบการเรียบเรียง / Accessed: 2026-10-05
Last reviewed: · Version 2