Guide
How long a bag of freeze-dried fish keeps for
Updated
How long do freeze dried fish treats last once they reach your cupboard? An unopened bag is best by 1 year from production, and the best-by date is printed on the bag. Once you open a bag, our guidance is to use it within 30 days. The same two numbers cover minnows, sardines, sardine heads and anchovies.
How long does an unopened bag of fish treats last?
An unopened bag is best by 1 year from production. The date is not something you have to work out. It is printed on the bag, so the answer for the bag in your hand is already there.
That 1 year is how we describe the bag, and it applies to all four of our fish. Sardines, heads, anchovies and minnows each get the same wording. We do not give one fish a longer number than another.
The sardine label adds a short storage line: "No refrigerator needed." Cool, dry and well sealed is how we ask you to keep any of our bags, and the storage guide covers where a bag can live in your house.
How long do fish treats last after you open the bag?
Our guidance is to use an opened bag within 30 days. Count from the day you open it, not from the day it arrives and not from the day it was made.
That 30 days is our advice to customers. It is not printed on the label, and we will not dress it up as something the bag told you. What the labels do carry is a closing instruction. The sardine label says, "Press the bag closed after opening and keep it somewhere cool and dry." The minnow label says, "Reseal the bag after you open it." The anchovy label says, "A cool, dry place is all they need."
So the habit is simple. Open the bag, take what you need, press it closed and put it back somewhere cool and dry. Keep the 30 days in mind. We say nothing more than that about the opened bag, because we do not want to add rules we cannot stand behind.
Where is the best-by date on the bag?
It is printed on the bag. We can say that much and no more, so look the bag over when it arrives. If you like having a record, take a minute to find the date as soon as a bag comes in, and you will know it before you ever open it.
Here is how the two numbers fit together:
| Row | Our guidance | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Unopened bag | Best by 1 year from production | Our guidance |
| Opened bag | Use within 30 days of opening | Our guidance, not label text |
| Where to check | The best-by date | Printed on the bag |
Only the last row is something the bag prints. The date is printed. The 1 year and the 30 days are ours. Keeping the two apart is the whole point of this page, and it is why you will not see a line on this site that says the bag gives a number of days after opening.
Does it matter which fish is in the bag?
No. The same guidance covers every fish we sell. Sardines are sold in a 1.5, 3 or 6 ounce bag. Anchovies and minnows come in a 2 ounce bag each. Whatever the fish, the date on the bag and the 30 days after opening are the rules.
The Fish Trio is one box holding a bag each of sardines, anchovies and sardine heads. Each of the three counts on its own once opened. Opening the sardine bag starts the 30 days for the sardine bag only, and the other two are still waiting with their own best-by dates.
All of these fish are freeze-dried raw, so handling matters whichever bag you open. The sardine heads listing carries the reminder: "This is raw fish, so wash your hands after handling it." Wash after you portion a treat, and the habit follows you through every bag.
Our last point on shelf life is about size. A bag does not keep longer because it is big, and it does not keep shorter because it is small. If you want help choosing a size to match the 30 days, the sardine page lists the three bags and has a calculator for a dog's daily share.
What about dogs and cats?
One bag can serve a dog and a cat. The dates stay the same either way, since there is only one bag and one best-by date on it.
Fed to a dog, any of these is a treat or a topper on the meal, not a complete diet. Put a water bowl down, and keep watch until the treat is gone. For a cat, minnows, sardines and anchovies can be offered in small pieces. Ask your veterinarian first, and let the veterinarian set how much. We give no amount for a cat. The 10 percent figure in the sardine calculator is for dogs only.
Questions
How long does a bag of freeze-dried minnows last?
The same as the rest of our fish: best by 1 year from production, with the date printed on the bag, and use within 30 days of opening. The minnow page may show "Sold out, back soon" on its button. That does not change a bag already in your cupboard.
Does the 30 days start when the bag arrives or when I open it?
When you open it. Our guidance is to use the bag within 30 days of opening. An unopened bag goes by its best-by date instead, which is 1 year from production and printed on the bag. The delivery day starts nothing.
What if a bag is past the best-by date?
We tell customers to go by the printed date. That is the date we stand behind, and we add no claim about what happens after it. The printed date is the only answer we give for an unopened bag.
Does a larger bag get more time once it is open?
No. The 30 days is the same for every size. A bag of 1.5, 3 or 6 ounces gets the same guidance once it is open, so pick a size you will use within that time. The sardine page shows all three sizes.
Do the cat and the dog need separate bags?
No. One bag can serve both, and both share the same dates. A cat gets small pieces, and the cat's share is your veterinarian's call. The sardine calculator and its 10 percent figure are for dogs only, so do not use them for a cat.
Should I check the date on a minnow bag differently?
No. The minnow bag works like the others. Read the best-by date printed on the bag, reseal the bag after you open it, keep it cool and dry out of direct sunlight, and use it within 30 days. The minnow page is where the sold-out button lives.