Baby Food Shelf Life
Babies are more vulnerable to foodborne illness than adults, so the clocks here are short and there is no room for the sniff test. Opened baby food keeps 1–3 days depending on what is in it, prepared formula 24 hours, and anything a baby has eaten from directly should be discarded after the meal.
6 foods · times shown are for the most common state of each food; tap a food for every state, storage tips and spoilage signs.
Commercial baby food
| Food | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baby Cereal Opened |
Not recommended | Not recommended | 1 month |
| Baby Food (Jars) Opened, fruit or vegetable |
2–3 days | 1–2 months | Not safe |
| Baby Food Pouches Opened |
1 day | 1–2 months | Not safe |
Homemade
| Food | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homemade Baby Food Homemade |
1–2 days | 1–2 months | Not safe |
Milk feeds
| Food | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breast Milk Fresh |
4 days | 6 months | 4 hours |
| Infant Formula Prepared |
24 hours | Not recommended | 2 hours |
Not safe = perishable: no more than 2 hours at room temperature. Not recommended = possible, but quality suffers. Freezer times are best-quality windows at 0°F (−18°C).