How long does bacon last?

How to tell bacon has gone bad

• Spoiled bacon smells sour or off, and the surface turns sticky or slimy. Either sign means it goes out.
• Fading or darkening of the colour can come with spoilage, but colour alone is not the test. Check the smell and the surface too.
• Mould on bacon means the whole pack goes out. USDA lists bacon with lunch meats and hot dogs as foods that cannot be trimmed.
• Raw bacon keeps 7 days in the fridge once opened, and cooked bacon 4 to 5 days. Fully cooked shelf-stable bacon follows its package date until opened.

Sources: Bacon and Food Safety (USDA FSIS); The Color of Meat and Poultry (USDA FSIS); Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous? (USDA FSIS). The times on this page are quality guidelines, not safety limits; food that shows these signs goes out regardless of the date.

Storage habits that make the difference

Refrigerate opened bacon, ham, sausage and hot dogs in their original packaging or a sealed container, and use within about a week. Freeze anything you will not use in time; vacuum-sealed cuts freeze especially well. Keep these products toward the back of the fridge, where the temperature is steadiest.