Can You Eat Chicken After the Use-By Date?
Written by Jordan Morley · Reviewed against FSA date labelling guidance · Last updated 28 October 2026
No. Chicken has a use-by date, which is about safety, not quality. Don't eat it after the date, even if it looks and smells fine.
Why the use-by date matters
A use-by date is a safety deadline. Raw meat carries bacteria such as Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli, depending on the meat. They are present at low levels at purchase and keep multiplying as the days pass, even in the fridge. The date is how long the manufacturer has tested the food to be safe when stored as the label says. The FSA's advice is not to eat, cook or freeze food after its use-by date, since food can look and smell normal while it is unsafe. The date means 'up to and including' that day, provided the food has been kept as the label says. A best-before date, by contrast, is only about quality.
You can also check the calorie content of chicken alongside its safety information.
Why cooking it 'to be safe' does not rescue it
Raw poultry is one of the foods that always carries a use-by date: WRAP, reported by Which? in April 2020, lists poultry, red meat and processed meats as use-by foods that should not be used past the date. The same article states the general rule: food is safe past its best-before date but never past its use-by date. The Out-Law report quotes the FSA on why you cannot check by smell: 'People can't always smell the bugs that cause food poisoning'. So a chicken breast that looks and smells fine on day 3 past the date is not shown to be safe by either test.
What you can do before the date
| Situation | What the sources say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Will not eat it by the use-by date | Freeze it. The FSA says you can freeze food right up to the use-by date | FSA, How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely (18 Dec 2017) |
| Defrosting | In the fridge at 5°C or lower; it can take 24 hours or longer. Never on the counter | Which?, 15 Sep 2026, quoting the FSA |
| Cooking from frozen | 'The FSA strongly advises against cooking raw chicken from frozen' because it can cook unevenly | Which?, 15 Sep 2026 |
| Refreezing raw chicken thawed at home | FSA's usual advice is no: home freezers are less efficient than industry equipment | FSA news item |
| Cooked chicken left over | Fridge within about an hour or two and use within 2 days, reheat once until steaming hot | NHS Forth Valley leftovers sheet |
Date the day you freeze it. Frozen at a steady -18°C, chicken stays safe; the time limits are about quality.
Do not wash it
The Which? guidance, quoting FSA advice, is not to wash raw chicken before cooking. Cooking it thoroughly (75°C in the middle, per Which?) is what makes it safe, not washing.
Sources checked
Everything in the sections above was checked against these pages on 28 October 2026.
- Which?: Is it ever safe to keep foods after their best before and use by dates? (published 3 April 2020, updated 9 April 2020; reporting WRAP advice) — WRAP: poultry, red meat and processed meats carry use-by dates; not safe past use-by
- Pinsent Masons (Out-Law): Morrisons' new milk labelling may not pass the FSA's sniff test (January 2022) — FSA: people cannot always smell the bacteria that cause food poisoning
- Food Standards Agency: How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely — freeze up to the use-by date
- Which?: 5 foods you should never cook straight from frozen (15 September 2026) — FSA advice against cooking from frozen; fridge defrost; do not wash chicken; 75C
- Food Standards Agency news item on chilled poultry that has been frozen and defrosted (updated 25 November 2022) — usual advice not to refreeze raw meat thawed at home; reason
- NHS Forth Valley: Safe storage of leftover food (no publisher or date shown on the PDF) — leftovers: fridge within 2 days, chill within about an hour, reheat once
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Chicken: the other answers on this site
| Question | Short answer (links to the full page) |
|---|---|
| In pregnancy | Safe if fully cooked |
| Reheating | Yes — once only |
| Left out overnight | No — throw it away (limit about 2 h) |
Common questions
Can I eat chicken on the use-by date itself?
Yes: the use-by date is the last day it is safe, as long as it has been stored as the label says (usually in the fridge at 5°C or below) and, once opened, used within any 'use within' time on the pack. The day after, it is past the date.
Can I cook chicken thoroughly to make it safe after the date?
No. The FSA says not to eat, cook or freeze food after its use-by date. Cooking kills many bacteria, but you can't tell by looking or smelling whether the food was already unsafe (the FSA says people can't always smell the bugs that cause food poisoning), and some bacteria produce heat-stable toxins that cooking does not destroy.
Can I freeze chicken on its use-by date?
Yes, as long as you freeze it on or before the date, not after. Freezing pauses the clock. USDA FoodKeeper suggests about 12 months for best quality. Defrost in the fridge and use within 24 hours (FSA).
How long does chicken keep if there's no label?
In the fridge at 5°C or below, USDA FoodKeeper gives 1–2 days for fresh chicken. If the pack has a use-by date, always follow that, since it applies to the product as sold.
What is the difference between use-by and best-before?
Use-by is about safety: do not eat after it. Best-before is about quality: the food is often fine after it, just past its best. Check which one is on your label.
Can I cook chicken thoroughly the day after its use-by date?
The rule we found in WRAP's advice (via Which?) is that food is never safe past its use-by date. Cooking kills many bacteria, but you cannot check by smell whether the chicken was already unsafe, and the FSA, quoted by Pinsent Masons, says people cannot always smell the bacteria.
Can I freeze chicken on the use-by date?
Yes. The FSA says you can freeze food up to and including the use-by date. Freeze it before midnight, not the day after.
Related answers
Primary source: FSA date labelling guidance.
General information only, not medical advice: see the medical disclaimer. Feeling unwell after eating something? Contact NHS 111 or your GP.