Shelf Life Check

Research and update best-by dates for pantry items using authoritative food safety sources.

When to Use

• User asks to verify or check shelf life estimates
• User adds unusual items not in the default lookup table
• User wants more accurate dates for specific products or brands
• After running grocer-cli pantry track when the user wants to refine estimates

Commands

# View current pantry items with best-by dates
grocer-cli pantry list

# Check what's expiring soon
grocer-cli pantry status
grocer-cli pantry expiring --days 3

# Look up shelf life for any item
grocer-cli pantry shelf-life "chicken breast"

# Update a best-by date
grocer-cli pantry extend <pantryId> <newBestByDate>

# Mark items as consumed or toss
grocer-cli pantry consumed <pantryId>
grocer-cli pantry toss <pantryId>

Workflow

1. Run grocer-cli pantry list to see current pantry items with their estimated best-by dates

2. For each item (or items the user specifies), search the web for the actual shelf life:

   • Search: "<product name>" shelf life refrigerator how long does it last
   • Prioritize results from: USDA FoodKeeper, StillTasty.com, FDA.gov, EatByDate.com
   • Look for the refrigerated shelf life after opening (or after purchase for fresh items)
   • For canned/dry goods, look for pantry shelf life

3. Compare the researched shelf life against the current estimate

4. If the estimate differs significantly (off by more than 2 days for perishables, or more than 30 days for shelf-stable items):

   • Calculate the corrected best-by date from the purchase date
   • Update it with grocer-cli pantry extend <pantryId> <newBestByDate>
   • Tell the user what you found and what you changed

5. Report a summary:

   • Which items you checked
   • What sources you used
   • What changed vs. what was already accurate
   • Any items where shelf life varies a lot by brand/storage method

Notes

• Always cite the source (USDA FoodKeeper, StillTasty, etc.)
• When in doubt, use the more conservative (shorter) estimate
• Frozen items last much longer — note if the user might freeze something
• "Best by" on the package always wins over generic estimates

Requirements

• grocer-cli must be installed (npm install -g grocer-cli)
• Pantry items must exist (via grocer-cli pantry track <purchaseId> or grocer-cli pantry add)