USDA-backed shelf life chart: how long cooked leftovers, grains, meat, dairy, and pantry staples last in the fridge, freezer, and pantry. Bookmark it. Our Shelf Life Calculator is provided in order to help our customers determine the remaining shelf life of their product. Find the shelf life of any food, medicine, cosmetic, or household product. Authoritative data from USDA, FDA, and manufacturer guidelines. Information on sell-by, use-by, best-by and other dates and how to calculate the actual shelf life of food. The meaning of SHELF LIFE is the period of time during which a material may be stored and remain suitable for use; broadly : the period of time during which something lasts or remains popular. Shelf life depends on the degradation mechanism of the specific product. Most can be influenced by several factors: exposure to light, heat, moisture, transmission of gases, mechanical stresses, and contamination by things such as micro-organisms. StillTasty.com has comprehensive information about how long you can keep thousands of foods and beverages. On the other hand, shelf life refers to the period of time during which a product can be stored before it starts to deteriorate in quality. While the expiry date is a fixed point in time, the shelf life can vary depending on how the product is stored and handled. Enter the manufactured date and the expiration date into the Shelf Life Calculator. The calculator will evaluate the Shelf Life. This can also calculate the date at 25%, 50%, and 75% of shelf life remaining. Shelf Life Books is an independent bookstore specializing in high quality literature, Canadian authors, small presses, children’s books, and diverse voices across all genres.