Free online shelf life calculator: get the expiration date from a production date and shelf life, count days remaining or overdue, or work back to the production date
Expiry date from production date and shelf life, days remaining from two dates, or the production date worked backwards from an expiry date
Months and years advance on the calendar and clamp to the last valid day, avoiding the drift you get from multiplying by 30
See days left or days overdue instantly, with a warning when an item is close to its expiry date
A progress bar shows how much of the shelf life has been used, making it easy to use older stock first
One-click presets for 7/30 days and 6/12/18 months, 2/3 years, plus free entry for anything else
Everything runs in your browser - dates and product details never leave your device
Choose Expiry date if you know the production date and shelf life, Days remaining if you have both dates, or Find production date if only the expiry date is known.
Pick the date printed on the package with the date field; you can also type it directly as year-month-day.
Type the shelf life number and choose days, months or years - or use a preset button such as 18 months.
The result card shows the date with its weekday, days remaining or overdue, and how much of the shelf life has been used, with a near-expiry or expired badge.
Check the expiry date of bulk purchases and use the progress bar to eat oldest stock first
Infant formula and baby food have short shelf lives; confirm the expiry date before buying or opening
Unopened skincare lasts around three years, but opened products follow the period-after-opening symbol - work it out precisely
Review the family medicine box every few months and clear out anything that has expired
Buying reduced near-date items? Count the days remaining first and confirm you will finish them in time
If a delivery arrives already expired, the calculated dates and days overdue can support your claim
Expiration date = production date + declared shelf life. Day-based shelf lives add days directly; month and year shelf lives follow the calendar rather than 30-day blocks. Examples: 2025-03-15 + 18 months = 2026-09-15, and 2025-01-31 + 1 month = 2025-02-28 because February has no 31st, so the calculator uses the month's last day. That last rule is exactly why hand counting drifts by a few days.
Shelf life is the period the manufacturer guarantees the product's quality. Best before highlights optimal quality and flavour, while use by is a firmer safety deadline. Where a product prints only a best-before date, treat the period after it more cautiously, and always prioritise the printed date over any calculation.
Printed shelf life assumes specific storage conditions such as "store in a cool, dry place" or "keep refrigerated at 0-4 °C". Heat, moisture and light shorten real usable life, and once a package is opened the period drops further. Many products add an instruction like "refrigerate after opening and consume within X days", which overrides the original date.
Near-expiry (short-dated) items are still within their shelf life and are generally fine when packaging is intact and storage has been correct - many retailers discount them. Once the expiry date has passed, food should not be sold or eaten. A shelf life calculator lets you tell the two apart quickly at home or in the store.
| Product | Typical shelf life (unopened) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh milk / yogurt | 3 – 21 days | Keep refrigerated, use soon after opening |
| UHT milk / drinks | 6 – 12 months | Cool and dark; refrigerate after opening |
| Bread / cakes | 3 – 30 days | Quality drops noticeably near the end |
| Biscuits / snacks | 9 – 12 months | Watch for moisture and damaged packaging |
| Canned / vacuum packed | 2 – 3 years | Never use if bulging or leaking |
| Rice, flour, cooking oil | 12 – 18 months | Cool and dry; keep oil out of light |
| Powdered infant formula | 18 – 24 months | Usually use within 1 month of opening |
| Supplements / vitamins | 24 – 36 months | Store as labelled, keep sealed |
| Cosmetics (unopened) | about 36 months | After opening, 6-12 months typical |
| Medicines (unopened) | 24 – 36 months | Follow the printed expiry date |