A freeze-by date tells you when a product should be frozen to keep its peak quality. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service describes it as “not a purchase or safety date.”
If you won't cook the food by then, freeze it on or before that day. Freezing later is usually fine as long as the food has been refrigerated properly, but the texture may suffer a little.
Where you'll see it
Freeze-by dates show up mostly on fresh meat, poultry and fish, sometimes on bread and baked goods. USDA added “Freeze-By” to its list of date phrases when it revised the Food Product Dating fact sheet in 2019. Some labels combine it with another date, such as USE OR FREEZE BY, which means the same day applies to both: use it by then, or get it into the freezer.
In California, the 2024 date-labeling law (AB 660) standardizes this wording. A quality date may read BEST if Used or Frozen by, and a safety date may read USE by or Freeze by. See California's date label law.
Freeze by vs use by vs best by
| Date phrase | What it's about | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze by | Quality after freezing | Freeze it by this day if you won't use it in time |
| Best by / best if used by | Peak flavor and texture | Use it by this day for best quality |
| Use by | Last recommended day to use it | Plan to use the food by this day |
| Sell by | Store stock rotation | Buy before it; use it within the time the food keeps |
More on each: sell by vs use by vs best by.
How long frozen food keeps
Freezing stops the clock on safety but not on quality. FDA's storage chart says food kept frozen at 0°F (-18°C) is safe indefinitely, and that its freezer times are “for quality only.” A few examples from that chart:
| Food | Freezer |
|---|---|
| Hamburger and other ground meats | 3–4 months |
| Steaks | 6–12 months |
| Chicken or turkey, whole | 1 year |
| Chicken or turkey, pieces | 9 months |
| Bacon | 1 month |
For everything else, the shelf life chart lists freezer times for hundreds of foods from USDA's FoodKeeper data.
Meat you bought for later this week? Scan the date when you unpack groceries and FreshScan reminds you two days ahead, in time to cook it or freeze it.
Free on theApp StoreFreezing before the date: what helps
- Freeze meat in the store packaging for short stays; overwrap it or move it to freezer bags for longer ones to limit freezer burn.
- Write the day you froze it on the package. The printed date no longer tells you much once food is frozen.
- Thaw in the refrigerator, not on the counter, and cook thawed meat and poultry promptly.
Questions people ask
Can I freeze meat after the freeze-by date?
Usually, yes, if it has been refrigerated the whole time and is still within the time USDA gives for that food in the fridge. Freezing after the freeze-by date doesn't make food unsafe; the quality after thawing may just be a little lower. Freezing doesn't reset the clock, so freeze it in the state you'd be happy to cook it in.
Does freezing food at 0°F keep it safe forever?
FDA says food kept frozen at 0°F (-18°C) stays safe indefinitely, and that recommended freezer times are for quality only. Food that has been frozen a long time can dry out or pick up off-flavors, which is why freezer charts still give times.
Is "best if used or frozen by" the same as freeze by?
They are close. California's AB 660 allows "BEST if Used or Frozen by" as the wording for a quality date on food sold there. Both tell you the last day for peak quality if you plan to freeze the food rather than use it.
Sources
- Food Product Dating — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Food Product Dating fact sheet revision (Federal Register notice, April 9, 2019) — USDA FSIS
- Refrigerator & Freezer Storage Chart — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- AB 660 (Irwin, 2024): Food labeling: quality dates and safety dates — California Legislative Information