First in, first out: how to rotate your food storage

By SGWNI. Checked on 2 November 2026.

To rotate food storage, use the oldest cans first and put new ones behind them on the shelf. That’s what “first in, first out” means. It keeps your supply fresh without any extra spending, because you only ever buy food you were going to eat anyway. The CDC’s advice for emergency food is to use and replace it before its expiration date, and rotation is how that happens in a normal kitchen.

Store what you eat

Rotation only works if the food gets eaten. Ready.gov says to choose foods your family will eat. The CDC adds that it’s not necessary to buy dehydrated or other special emergency food.

Food kept in a separate “emergency” shelf tends to be forgotten until the dates have passed. Food you cook with every week rotates itself. If you make chili on Thursdays, keep extra beans and tomatoes, and take from the front of the shelf each time.

A setup that works

Empty one shelf. Check dates as you go.
Group the same foods together. It shows you what you have too much of.
Put the soonest date in front. New groceries always go behind.
Write the date on top of the can. Use a marker. Many cans carry only a code, and the USDA says those codes aren’t meant for you to read as a best-by date, so write the month and year you bought it.
Keep it shallow. A deep shelf hides things. If that’s what you’ve got, use a bin you can pull out, or a can rack that feeds the oldest can forward.

Keep a list if your food is in more than one place. Our food storage inventory template is free to print or download.

How often to check

The official sources give different answers, because they’re talking about different things.

What	How often	Source
Pantry	Every few weeks, using cans you’ve had for a while	USDA
Water you bottled yourself	Replace every 6 months	CDC, Ready.gov
Store-bought water	By its expiration date	CDC
Emergency kit	Replace expired items as needed, reassess every year	Ready.gov

In practice, cooking from your pantry takes care of the first line. For the rest, two dates a year is enough, such as the two weekends the clocks change. Our rotation calendar makes a calendar file with the reminders in it.

At each check, look at food, water, batteries, medicines and anything packed in a go bag or car kit. Also look at whether your household’s needs have changed. Kids outgrow clothes and sizes, and formula and diapers need updating often.

Use the ‘quality’ times to plan your meals

Most pantry staples have USDA guide times for quality, from when you buy them. High-acid cans, such as tomatoes and fruit, keep their best quality for 12 to 18 months. Low-acid cans, such as meat, soup and vegetables, keep theirs for 2 to 5 years. Rice and dried pasta are good for 2 years.

That difference is worth using. Tomatoes and fruit need to move through your kitchen faster than canned beans or chicken, so give them a spot at the front. The canned food shelf life look-up has more foods.

Store it where it lasts

Good storage does as much as good rotation. The USDA says to keep canned food and other shelf-stable products in a cool, dry place, and below 85°F is best. Never put them above or beside the stove, under the sink, or in a damp garage or basement, or anywhere with extreme temperatures. The CDC says 40°F to 70°F is the best range, in a dark place, and to keep food away from range or refrigerator exhausts.

It also says to store food away from gasoline, oil, paints and solvents, because some food absorbs their smell. That rules out a lot of garage shelving, and hot attics fail the temperature test.

Food in boxes or paper cartons keeps longer in waterproof, airtight containers, which also help keep rodents and insects out.

What to do with food near or past its date

Eat it soon. If a date has passed and the food is in good condition, it’s usually still fine, because most US food dates are about quality. What dates mean for food storage has the detail and the exceptions, including infant formula.

Throw away cans that are bulging, leaking, heavily rusted or deeply dented, whatever the date says.

When a list isn’t enough

For a small supply, a marker and two calendar reminders are plenty.

If your food is spread through the house, or you’ve got a lot of it, the hard part is remembering what comes up next. That’s what the Prep app is for. Each purchase is its own batch with its own date and location, it keeps a use first list, and it can remind you up to 90 days ahead.