First in, first out
First in, first out (FIFO) means using your oldest food first. Put new groceries behind older ones so nothing expires at the back of the shelf.
Also called FIFO, Stock rotation.
First in, first out, or FIFO, is a simple rule for storing food: use the oldest items first. When you bring new food home, put it behind or under what you already have, so the older packs are the first ones you reach for. Restaurants use it to cut waste and to keep food from going past its date, and it works the same way in a home fridge, freezer and pantry.
How to do it
- When you unpack groceries, check the dates on what you already have.
- Move the older items to the front of the shelf or the top of the freezer drawer.
- Put the new items behind or under them.
- Label leftovers and homemade frozen food with what it is and the date you made it. Masking tape and a marker are enough.
- Once a week, check the fridge and plan meals around what needs using first.
If a newer item has an earlier date than an older one, use the earlier date first. Kitchens call this first expired, first out.
How to store it
Leftovers need using soon. The USDA says to eat refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days. The UK Food Standards Agency says within 2 days, and cooked rice within 24 hours. Freeze anything you will not eat in time.
In the freezer, food stays safe at -18°C (0°F), but quality fades. Using the oldest packs first keeps freezer burn from setting in on food that sits at the bottom.
Common mistakes
- Putting new milk or yogurt in front of the open one.
- Not labeling containers, then guessing how old they are.
- Forgetting the "once opened, use within" instruction, which replaces the date on the pack.
- Burying batch-cooked meals at the bottom of the freezer.
- Treating a best before date like a use by date. Food past its best before date is usually still safe; food past its use by date is not.
In recipes
FIFO is not a cooking step, but it shapes how you plan. Meal prep works best when you build the week's meals around the oldest fresh food first.
Related terms
- Best beforeA best before date marks when food is at its best quality, not when it turns unsafe. Food can usually be eaten after it if stored as directed.
- Use byA use by date is the safety deadline on perishable food like fresh meat, fish and dairy. After it, do not eat the food, even if it looks and smells fine.
- Meal prepMeal prep is planning and preparing meals or ingredients ahead, often on one day a week, so weekday cooking takes minutes and you eat to a plan.
- Batch cookingBatch cooking is making a large amount of food in one session, then cooling, storing and reheating portions over the week or freezing them for later.
- Freezer burnFreezer burn is the dry, grayish, leathery patches on frozen food left exposed to air. It is safe to eat but tastes and feels worse, so trim it off.
- Shelf-stableShelf-stable food can be stored unopened at room temperature, like canned goods, dried pasta and UHT milk. Many of them need the fridge once opened.