Food Storage Shelf-Life Chart for Georgia Food Service

Know exactly when to discard, label, and rotate every common ingredient—fully aligned with the Georgia Food Code.

Quick-glance limits for safer, more profitable kitchens.

Chef reviews labeled food pans in a walk-in cooler

Up to 17 % of restaurant food waste comes from missed discard dates, according to a multi-state study of quick-service kitchens. Beyond profit loss, expired food erodes guest trust and triggers costly health-code deductions. Georgia inspectors routinely cross-check date-marks against the Georgia Food Code and expect managers to justify every container’s shelf life in seconds.

This page condenses hundreds of code references, scientific publications, and state guidance memos into a single, easy-to-scan chart. We prioritized high-risk Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) foods—items that support rapid pathogen growth—while noting shelf lives for common non-TCS ingredients that still spoil quickly. All limits assume proper storage temperatures (≤ 41 °F refrigeration and 0 °F freezing) and undamaged packaging.

You’ll also find Georgia-specific day-marking rules, practical rotation steps, and inspection-ready tips. The result: a living reference you can print, link in staff group chats, or pair with our interactive Food Expiration Date Calculator to eliminate guesswork.

Georgia Day-Mark & Labeling Rules

Mandatory Information

  • Common name of the food
  • Date of preparation or opening (Day 1)
  • Discard or use-by date (≤7 calendar days for most TCS)
  • Employee initials for accountability

Pro-Level Add-Ons

  • Prep time (especially for multi-batch days)
  • Colored stickers by day of week
  • Allergen icons or codes for quick alerts
  • Reheat temperature targets (“165 °F/15 sec”)

Example full label: “Chicken Salad – Prep 4 Jan / Discard 10 Jan – AB”. Remember: the prep day counts as Day 1. Toss the item at midnight on the discard date, not the next morning.

Master Shelf-Life Chart

Cold, Frozen & Dry Storage Limits – Georgia Food Code Reference
Food Item Refrigerated
(≤ 41 °F)		 Frozen
(0 °F)		 Dry / Ambient
Cooked chicken7 days9 monthsN/A
Ground beef (raw)1–2 days4 monthsN/A
Cooked rice7 days6 monthsN/A
Deli turkey (opened)3–5 days2 monthsN/A
Smoked fish14 days2 monthsN/A
Fresh berries3 days10–12 monthsN/A
Bagged leafy greens7 days or manufacturer dateDo not freezeN/A
Hard cheese (cheddar)4–6 weeks6–8 monthsN/A
Soft cheese (brie)7 days6 monthsN/A
Milk (opened)7 daysDo not freeze*N/A
Shell eggs (raw, in shell)4–5 weeksDo not freezeN/A
Hard-boiled eggs (peeled)7 daysDo not freezeN/A
Sliced tomatoes2 daysNot recommendedN/A
Prepared pasta salad5 daysNot recommendedN/A
Opened canned beans (transfer to food-grade)3 days2 monthsN/A
Pastries with cream filling3 days2 months1 day

*Milk quality declines rapidly when frozen; use only for cooking. Want a live countdown? Try our expiration-date calculator.

How to Use This Chart in Daily Operations

  1. Receive & inspect shipments, checking temperature and packaging before acceptance.
  2. Label immediately with prep/open and discard dates—do not wait until rush ends.
  3. FIFO rotation: Move older product to the front; new stock goes behind. Pair with our storage temperature guide for precision.
  4. Daily checks: Verify labels during line-up and record items nearing discard in your safety checklist.
  5. Log discards with weight or pan counts—data supports menu tweaks that cut waste.
  6. Clean & sanitize empty containers before reuse; review methods in our sanitizing guide.

Inspection-Ready Tips

Best Practices & Common Pitfalls

Do This

  • Snap end-of-shift photos of labels to verify compliance.
  • Use color-coded bins for proteins, produce, and dairy.
  • Store thawing foods below ready-to-eat items.
  • Schedule weekly deep-clean and label audit—see sanitizing guide.

Avoid This

  • Re-dating containers after staff meeting “smell test.”
  • Using faded labels that smear in condensation.
  • Stacking pans so labels become hidden.
  • Leaving bulk staples unlabeled after portioning.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Freezing pauses microbial growth but does not restart the count. When you thaw a cooked roast on 1 Mar, resume from the days already used before freezing. Georgia follows FDA Model Code logic (511-6-1-.04(6)(i)).

The code does not require date-marks for non-TCS foods like sugar or flour. However, operators often add arrival or best-by dates for inventory control and allergen traceability.

Georgia counts the calendar day, not 24-hour blocks. If you cook rice at 1:00 AM Tuesday, that's still “Day 1” Tuesday. Discard on or before the seventh calendar day (Monday).

Related Resources

Safe storage protects guests and profits alike. Return to top.