How long does baby food last?

Reviewed by the MyListResort team · Data from the USDA FoodKeeper · Updated July 30, 2026

This guide covers jarred and pouched baby foods, not infant formula. Baby food deserves extra caution because infants are more vulnerable to foodborne illness. Food a baby has been fed from directly should not be saved, because bacteria from the spoon get into the container. Always follow the product label and your pediatrician over general guidance.

What are common spoilage signs for baby food?

• Any off smell, separation that will not stir back, or change in color.
• A bulging, leaking or damaged jar or pouch, or a lid that does not pop when first opened.
• Anything the baby has already eaten from, which should be discarded rather than kept.

Storing baby food

• Refrigerate opened jars and pouches promptly and use within the label window.
• Dry mixes keep sealed in the cupboard. Make up only what will be eaten at that feed, and treat anything mixed as a fresh food.
• Spoon a serving into a separate dish and feed from that, so the container stays clean.
• When in doubt, discard it; follow the label and your pediatrician first.

Baby food shelf life, food by food

Tap a food for its once-opened window, full shelf-life table and storage tips.

• Cereal, dry mixes
• Dinners
• Fruit
• Jars or pouches
• Vegetables

Shelf-life windows come from the USDA FoodKeeper, published by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (public domain); we vendor the FSIS FoodKeeper dataset and refresh it in place. These are quality estimates, not food-safety determinations or guarantees: actual condition depends on storage and handling, and harmful bacteria may not have obvious signs. Follow package and official guidance; when in doubt, throw it out. See our food safety notice and terms.