Perishable describes foods that spoil quickly without proper storage, typically within days: fresh meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, cooked leftovers, cut fruit, and prepared salads. Their high moisture and nutrient content make them ideal microbial growth media, so they demand continuous refrigeration at or below 4 °C, or freezing for longer keeping. Food safety systems are built around perishables: use-by dates mark their safe life, cold chain logistics keep them chilled from farm to shelf, and HACCP plans focus on the temperature controls that hold spoilage and pathogens in check. The economic and environmental cost of perishable waste is enormous, with households discarding vast quantities past their prime. Managing perishables well, buying what will be used, storing correctly, and freezing surpluses, is among the highest-impact actions for both food budgets and food waste.