PrepHow long does olive and vegetable oil last?
FoodKeeper gives olive and vegetable oil 6 to 12 months unopened, as a US guide to quality. Once opened, that's 4 months in the fridge.
How to store it
Light and heat are what spoil oil. Keep it in a dark cupboard, not on a shelf beside the cooker, and close the cap after use.
USDA says temperatures below 85°F (about 29°C) are best, and to avoid anywhere above or beside the cooker, under the sink, or in a damp garage or cellar. Once it's open, follow the storage instruction on the label.
What to look for
Smell it. Rancid oil smells stale, like old crayons or putty. It's a quality problem rather than a food poisoning one, but it'll spoil what you cook.
Don't use food from a cracked jar, or a jar with a loose or bulging lid. Don't taste it to check.
Worth knowing
Oil in the fridge may turn cloudy or thicken. That's the cold, and it clears at room temperature. FoodKeeper gives 4 months there, against 3 to 5 months in the cupboard.
Similar foods
From preppantry.app. Checked 2 November 2026. Independent tool, not official advice.
How it works
FoodKeeper is USDA's food storage database. Its figures are guides to quality for food stored at cool room temperature, not safety cut-offs, and we show them as USDA gives them. FoodKeeper counts this from the date of purchase. Opened times start when you open the pack.
There's no UK shelf-life dataset, so these figures are from the US. The date on your pack comes first. On a UK pack, use by is about safety and best before is about quality, so never rely on this page to go past a use-by date.
Common questions
How long does olive and vegetable oil last unopened?
6 to 12 months, according to USDA FoodKeeper, as a guide to best quality. FoodKeeper counts this from the date of purchase.
How long does olive and vegetable oil keep once opened?
3 to 5 months in the cupboard. 4 months in the fridge.
Can I eat olive and vegetable oil after the best before date?
Best before is about quality, so olive and vegetable oil past that date is usually safe, but may not be as good. A use-by date is different: never eat food after it.
What should I look for before using olive and vegetable oil?
Smell it. Rancid oil smells stale, like old crayons or putty. It's a quality problem rather than a food poisoning one, but it'll spoil what you cook.
Sources
- USDA FoodKeeper data (CC0) (data version 128)
- USDA FSIS: shelf-stable food safety
- Food Standards Agency: home food fact checker
- GOV.UK: best before and use-by dates
- Be Ready checklist
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Checked on 2 November 2026. This is an independent tool and not official advice. See sources and method.