All foods will eventually spoil if they are not preserved. Storing foods in the refrigerator or freezer are the usual methods of preservation - but how long will foods keep? Here’s a guide from the US Department of Agriculture and the Food Marketing Institute:

Product		In refrigerator			In freezer
Ground beef		1-2 days			3-4 months
Steaks, roasts		3-5 days			6-12 months
Pork chops, roasts		3-5 days			4-6 months
Lean fish (cod, flounder, haddock)		1-2 days			up to 6 months
Fatty fish (blue, Perch, salmon)		1-2 days			2-3 months
Whole chicken		1-2 days			12 months
Chicken parts		1-2 days			9 months
Lunch meat		3-5 days			1-2 months
Sausage		1-2 days			2-3 months
Cheese (Swiss, brick, processed)		3-4 weeks			NA
Milk		5 days			1 month
Ice cream		---			2-4 months
Fresh eggs		3 weeks			NA
Hard-boiled eggs		1 week			NA

Related information Lifestyle changes – Manage weight – Eating well

Source:  Lewis C. Food freshness and “smart” packaging. FDA Consumer magazine, September-October 2002.