How many times have you opened or started a food and have it left in the fridge, wondering how long it would last until you can no longer eat? Surely more than once. The problem when checking the expiration of the products is that we do not have all the information necessary to determine it. Yes, we have the date offered by the manufacturer, but this only caters for closed products. So what happens to the foods that don't come with a label that indicates it? And with those that we have already open? Since GET OUT (Food and Water Safety) have made a small index to know how long does food last in the fridge. Let's find out!
First of all: the shelf life of food
There is a lot of tendency to put the concept of useful life and of expiration date. They are related, but they are not the same. On the one hand, the shelf life of a food is the “time that elapses between the production or packaging thereof and the point at which their physicochemical and / or organoleptic qualities are lost, and stop being safe for the consumer ”-according to IMF Business School. That is to say, that it maintains, in addition to all its nutritional properties, the flavor, aroma or texture, among others, even after being opened. In that sense, expiration date provided by the manufacturer only refers to the shelf life before opening the package.
In any case, the durability of each food also responds to a series of external factors -such as the specific specifications of each appliance, humidity or temperature, among others-. Be that as it may, know how long does food last in the fridge it is always useful; mainly because if that time is exceeded, they could lead to a risk to our health.
Fish and meat: sensitive products
Fish and meat are the most perishable foodsas they are very sensitive to the growth of microorganisms that can pose health hazards. In the case of the former, all fish -whether blue or white- and fresh seafood, lasts in the fridge for a few two days. If we talk about cooked and canned products, they can last up to two weeks in some cases. As for meat products, it depends. For example, cooked sausages they can last a week; just like frankfurters. Fresh and minced meats up to five days; and if we go to the poultry, the time is reduced: up to two days without they are fresh and up to four if they are cooked. In short, except for whole Serrano ham that can last up to two months, all other foods do not exceed a week.
Dairy and eggs: a shelf life not too long
Following the line of foods of animal origin, the products dairy and eggs They also do not have a long service life as a general rule - of course, it varies from one to the other. The milkto begin with, it can last up to two weeks open in the fridge; The yogurts, seven days. Regarding the cheese, the cured and semi-cured will last longer -up to three months depending on which it is- than the soft and cream -up to two weeks-. The butter, although open, is also capable of holding up to two months.
With regard to the eggs, raw in shell can last from three to five weeks; if we talk about whites and raw yolks, the maximum is four days. The omelettes will last, at most, three days - the French one even a little less.
Fruits and vegetables, essential
You also need to closely monitor the fruits and vegetables that we keep in our refrigerators. It is true that there are some that do not have to be stored cold, but most do, especially if the ambient temperature is high. Regarding fruits, it is worth mentioning that apples They last up to a month in the fridge - being the longest lasting. Others like pears -up to seven days-, the avocado -up to five- or oranges, tangerines and lemons -two weeks-, they have a shorter shelf life. Bananas, for example, should not be kept in the fridge - they would turn black. The vegetables, on average, have a duration of five to seven days -lettuce, tomato, broccoli, spinach, zucchini, among others. Others, such as carrots -up to a month-, or aubergines -up to 12 days-, hold out longer.
Cereals, pasta and packaging
The shelf life of cooked pasta It is not excessively long either: about five days at most; on the other hand, cereals like cooked rice they last a week.
And what about the packaging that we can always find in refrigerators? The fruit juices last up to 10 days, while the jams or sauces they can last up to three and five months, respectively.
As you have seen, know how long does food last in the fridge It is important both not to waste food and not to compromise our health. Did you know this duration of each type of product?
