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Storage guides · Product label guide

How long do eggs last in the fridge? What USDA says and how to read the carton.

Updated

USDA says raw shell eggs keep 3 to 5 weeks in the refrigerator. How to read the Julian pack date, where to store them, and what the catalog shows for treated and hard-boiled eggs.

Quick answer

Raw shell eggs keep for 3 to 5 weeks in the refrigerator at 40 F or below, according to USDA FSIS and FoodSafety.gov. Keep them in their original carton on a shelf, not the door, and do not freeze them in the shell. The three-digit number on many cartons is the Julian pack date, the day of the year the eggs were packed.

Fridge (raw, in shell)
3 to 5 weeks
Freezer in shell
Not recommended
Pack date
Julian code, 001 to 365
Eggs shelf in our catalog
20 current labels

01 · A closer look

The USDA numbers.

USDA FSIS and FoodSafety.gov both list raw shell eggs at 3 to 5 weeks in the refrigerator, held at 40 F (4 C) or below. FSIS advises storing them in the original carton in the coldest part of the refrigerator, not in the door, and says that eggs should not be frozen in the shell.

Raw shell eggs (figures from the cited USDA pages)
Food and conditionStorage
Refrigerator, 40 F or below3 to 5 weeks
Freezer, in the shellNot recommended
Where to keep themOriginal carton, coldest part, not the door
Cooked, processed or liquid eggsSee the USDA FoodKeeper for the exact item
USDA FSIS: shell eggs from farm to table

02 · A closer look

Reading the carton.

Many cartons carry a three-digit Julian pack date. It counts the days of the year, so January 1 is 001 and December 31 is 365. A carton marked 150 was packed on day 150. The Julian number tells you when the eggs were packed; a “sell by” or “best by” date next to it is a separate, voluntary date.

USDA AMS: shell egg day of the year chart (Julian pack dates)

03 · A closer look

What a date label means.

Date labels on most food are voluntary. USDA FSIS says that, except for infant formula, a date on a package is not required by federal law and is not a safety date. For meat, poultry and egg products FSIS describes “Best if Used By” as the date for best flavor or quality, not a purchase or safety date. Infant formula is the exception: the FDA requires a “Use by” date on its label.

USDA FSIS: food product dating

04 · A closer look

Hard-boiled, liquid and treated eggs.

The 3 to 5 week figure is for raw eggs in the shell. Hard-boiled, peeled or liquid eggs are different products and the USDA FoodKeeper lists them separately, so use its entry for the exact item. In our catalog, the labels that list citric acid are hard-boiled or processed eggs, where makers add it to maintain freshness; the checker does not flag citric acid.

USDA and FoodSafety.gov: FoodKeeper (storage times for pantry, refrigerator and freezer)

05 · A closer look

Does cage-free or pasture-raised change storage?

No. Farming claims describe how hens were kept, not how long the eggs last once packed. Our score treats a verified pasture-raised claim as a sourcing point, which is separate from any storage guidance.

From the catalog · 8 labels

Eggs in our catalog

The ingredient list of a carton of eggs is almost always the one word eggs; the farming claim is what differs, and it does not change how long eggs keep. Of the 4,729 products whose full ingredient list we have read in the last 90 days, 20 sit on the eggs shelf and 20 of those have no additive group flagged by the checker. Open a product to see its full label and the date we read it.

Eggs shelf: current labels in the CleanFoodScore catalog (counted at the last site build)
Labels
Current labels on the eggs shelf20
List water and citric acid (hard-boiled or treated eggs)5 (25.0%)
With any additive group flagged by the checker0 (0.0%)

The short answer

Our picks for how long do eggs last?

WinnersOrganic Valley Organic Large Brown Eggs, Pasture-Raised, Dozen and Vital Farms Organic Pasture-Raised Eggs each score 100/100. They tie, so choose on the exact flavor or format you want.

Runners-upPete and Gerry's Organic Eggs, Pure Egg Whites (85), 365 by Whole Foods Market Large Brown Eggs (60), and Eggland's Best 100% Liquid Egg Whites (60).

Clear noNone. Nothing scored here lists any of the nine groups we check, so there’s no additive to rule out.

Ranked from 8 of 8 products with current labels. Every product is in the table below; a score reflects labels and claims, not nutrition, allergies or safety.

Compare the recorded labels

Find the ingredients that matter to you.

8 of 8 products

“No …” columns: None found on the label · Listed on the label · Unknown. Diet fit: Fits · Doesn’t fit · Unknown (rules; not medical advice). Claims: verified · not established. Default: most check marks first; not a health score.

Compare product claims and recorded ingredients. Click a column heading to sort.
Buy
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →6
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →6
85 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicProduct details →5
60 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →4
60 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →4
60 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →4
60 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →4
60 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
How the clean score works

No setup needed, and strict: a full 100 needs every additive group clear and a verified organic claim (animal foods also need a verified grass-fed or pasture-raised claim; wild seafood and salt, which have no USDA organic standard, are scored without the organic points, and plant-based milks, cheeses and proteins without the feeding claim). Points: the nine additive groups (seed oils, artificial dyes, MSG, artificial sweeteners, carrageenan, artificial preservatives, hydrogenated oils, corn syrups, banned-abroad additives) share 60 points equally — not found earns a group’s full share, “may contain” earns half, listed earns 0; a verified organic claim is worth 25; a verified grass-fed or pasture-raised claim is worth 15 and counts only for animal foods. No claim, or an expired or unverified claim, earns nothing, so products without those claims cannot reach 100. Unverified or expired ingredient labels receive no score. Equal scores are equal. Ties are ordered by brand. Unknown and stale evidence never passes “Only show matches.” Producer claims and prices do not affect this score. This is not a nutrition, allergy, or safety rating.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Buying links do not influence ingredient results. “Buy on Amazon” opens a reviewed product listing; “Find where to buy” opens the maker’s page. Confirm the package, seller, stock, and current price before checkout. Price observations expire after 30 days.

Primary sources

Sources

  1. USDA FSIS: shell eggs from farm to table fsis.usda.gov
  2. FoodSafety.gov: cold food storage chart (refrigerator at 40 F, freezer at 0 F) foodsafety.gov
  3. USDA AMS: shell egg day of the year chart (Julian pack dates) ams.usda.gov
  4. USDA FSIS: food product dating fsis.usda.gov
  5. USDA and FoodSafety.gov: FoodKeeper (storage times for pantry, refrigerator and freezer) foodsafety.gov

Watch

The video about this page

How Long Do Eggs Last in the Fridge? What USDA SaysRaw eggs in the shell keep 3 to 5 weeks in a refrigerator at 40 F or below, according to USDA FSIS and FoodSafety.gov. We cover where to keep them, how to read the Julian pack date, and what our 20 egg labels show (as of October 2026).Watch on YouTube

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