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Gunther Heller

How we verify our numbers

Every storage time on this site comes from a public food-safety source. This page explains which one, how we process it, and what we do when it changes.

The source: USDA FoodKeeper

Our numbers come from FoodKeeper, the storage database published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) with Cornell University and the Food Marketing Institute. It is a U.S. government work in the public domain.

We use FoodKeeper data version 128 (released 09-06-2018). The file we import has SHA-256 037df0d301126acd8a48824506f04d49d8be1a1144b81fa69e4170228dc2e91a, so anyone can confirm we use the unmodified dataset.

A small number of foods FoodKeeper does not cover, such as breast milk, use another named public source (for breast milk, the CDC). Those pages name that source in place of FoodKeeper.

How we turn the data into a page

  1. Import. A script reads every FoodKeeper product and keeps its pantry, refrigerator and freezer times, the separate "after opening" and "after thawing" times, and FSIS's storage tips.
  2. Name. We rename products to the words people search for (FoodKeeper's "Cheese — hard such as cheddar, swiss" becomes "Hard cheese"). The numbers are not touched.
  3. Apply the 2-hour rule. FoodKeeper rarely gives a room-temperature time for perishable food. Where it does not, we show FSIS's general rule: discard perishable food after 2 hours at room temperature, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C).
  4. Write around the numbers. Signs of spoilage, freezing steps and storage tips follow FSIS guidance for each type of food. We never invent a duration: if FoodKeeper has no figure, the page says "Not listed".

What the numbers mean

  • Fridge times assume 40°F (4°C) or colder. Use a fridge thermometer; many fridges run warmer.
  • Freezer times are for quality. Food kept at 0°F (-18°C) stays safe indefinitely; after the stated time, texture and flavour decline.
  • Pantry times start on the day you buy the product unless the page says otherwise.
  • Ranges such as "4–6 days" mean the low end is the safer target.

If food smells, looks or feels wrong, discard it, whatever the number says. This site is general guidance, not medical advice.

"Last verified"

Each page shows the month we last checked its numbers against the current FoodKeeper release. Our last full check was November 2026. The dates in our sitemap change only when the underlying data changes, not when we restyle a page.

Corrections

Every food page has a "Report a wrong number" link. Send it with your source and we check it against FoodKeeper and FSIS within a few days. If we were wrong, we fix the page and update its verified date. You can also email hello@guntherheller.com.