Food-safety planning
Before-Cooking Storage Planner
Choose the raw food and the date it entered reliable refrigeration. The planner converts published refrigerator windows into calendar dates so you can decide when to cook or freeze it.
Storage assumptions
Keep raw food cold and contained
USDA guidance says refrigerators should stay at 40°F / 4°C or below. Raw meat, poultry and seafood should be wrapped or contained so juices cannot drip onto other food. If cold storage was interrupted, do not use this calendar window as proof that the food is safe.
If the product has specific package instructions or an earlier use-by date that applies, follow those instead. If you thawed meat or poultry in cold water or a microwave, cook it immediately rather than starting a new refrigerator-storage window.
What this tool does not do
A date is a planning aid, not a safety test
The planner cannot know the food's temperature history, handling before purchase, package condition or contamination. It deliberately covers only food groups with a clear source match and does not guess for unsupported foods.
Sources · 29 September 2026