How long does Deli meat last in the fridge once opened?

Turning the range into a date

Deli meat (pre-packaged) keeps 3–5 days in the fridge once opened. Enter a day and each row becomes a calendar date, worked out in your browser.

Luncheon meat or poultry, store-sliced

• In the freezerBest quality by1 month to 2 months after the day you stored it
• From purchase · in the fridgeUse by3 days to 5 days after the day you bought it

Luncheon meat or poultry, pre-packaged

• From purchase · in the freezerBest quality by1 month to 2 months after the day you bought it
• From purchase · in the fridgeUse by2 weeks after the day you bought it
• Once opened · in the fridgeUse by3 days to 5 days after the day you opened it

Every storage figure the USDA publishes for this item

USDA FoodKeeper lists 2 kinds under Luncheon meat or poultry.

Luncheon meat or poultry, store-sliced

• In the freezer1 month to 2 months
• From purchase · in the fridge3 days to 5 days

Luncheon meat or poultry, pre-packaged

• From purchase · in the freezer1 month to 2 months
• From purchase · in the fridge2 weeks
• Once opened · in the fridge3 days to 5 days

What USDA FSIS and the FDA say about this food

For: Luncheon meat or poultry, pre-packaged

Hot Dogs and Luncheon Meats

Luncheon meatsUnopened package, 2 weeks;

Opened package, 3-5 days

USDA FSIS, Refrigeration & Food Safety, retrieved 4 November 2026. Quoted word for word.

For: Luncheon meat or poultry, store-sliced · Luncheon meat or poultry, pre-packaged

Use ready-to-eat foods as soon as possible. Refrigerated ready-to-eat foods such as luncheon meats should be used as soon as possible. The longer they're stored in the refrigerator, the more chance Listeria, a bacterium that causes foodborne illness, can grow, especially if the refrigerator temperature is above 40° F (4° C).

FDA, Are You Storing Food Safely?, retrieved 4 November 2026. Quoted word for word.

For: Luncheon meat or poultry, store-sliced · Luncheon meat or poultry, pre-packaged

FOODHANDLINGREASON

Luncheon meats, bacon, or hot dogsDiscardFoods with high moisture content can be contaminated below the surface. Moldy foods may also have bacteria growing along with the mold.

USDA FSIS, Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous?, retrieved 4 November 2026. Quoted word for word.

Other foods on the same USDA shelf

• Commercial brand vacuum-packed dinners, with USDA seal2 weeks in the fridge
• Salami, pre-packaged, luncheon/deli meat3–5 days in the fridge once openedup to 2 weeks in the fridge
• Cooked rice4–6 days in the fridge
• Potato salad3–5 days in the fridge
• Coleslaw, homemade, prepared3–5 days in the fridge
• Poultry pieces, covered with gravy or broth3–4 days in the fridge

Food safety rules that apply to every food

• Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C). The freezer temperature should be 0° F (-18° C).
• Never allow meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or produce or other foods that require refrigeration to sit at room temperature for more than two hours—one hour if the air temperature is above 90° F.
• Though food will be safe indefinitely at 0° F, quality will decrease the longer the food is in the freezer.
• Never thaw food at room temperature, such as on the counter top. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately.
• Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter, or in hot water and must not be left at room temperature for more than two hours.
• If you're not sure or if the food looks questionable, throw it out.

Sources: FDA: are you storing food safely · FDA: safe food handling · USDA FSIS: safe defrosting.

Where these numbers come from

Every figure and note on this page is reproduced from USDA FoodKeeper as published; the calendar date is the only arithmetic, and it runs in your browser.

Source: USDA FoodKeeper, retrieved 1 September 2026. A figure that does not match the source? Tell us. How the site is built.

The answer at the top is for Luncheon meat or poultry, pre-packaged, the kind this site shows first; every kind the USDA lists under this name is printed with its own figures.

Also searched as: deli meat, lunch meat, cold cuts

USDA index terms: luncheon, Luncheon meat, meat, packaged, poultry, pre packaged, sliced, store, store sliced

KeepsUntil is an independent reference built on public USDA data. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Food and Drug Administration. Storage times are reproduced from USDA FoodKeeper as published; when in doubt, follow the FDA and USDA FSIS guidance linked on every food page.