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Perishable is used to describe an item, usually food, that typically spoils within a relatively short amount of time, such as fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products.

Such items are often simply called perishables. (When used as a noun, the term is most commonly plural.)

The term is often contrasted with nonperishables—food items that can be stored for a long time without spoiling, like dried grains, beans, and pasta.

Perishable foods need to be specially stored (like in a refrigerator) or eaten relatively quickly. Nonperishables, on the other hand, are things that will last a long time without refrigeration or other special storage.

Example: Let’s try to eat all the perishables before we go on vacation—we don’t want to come back to spoiled milk and rotting tomatoes.

Perish means “to die,” “to pass away,” or “to suffer ruin.” It comes from Latin ����ī����, which literally means “to go through” or “to spend fully.” The first records of perishable as an adjective come from around the 1400s. The use of perishable as a noun referring to foods came later. Many early uses of perishable referred to things prone to death and destruction. The word can still be used this way, but today it is most commonly used as a noun in reference to foods that spoil.

Anyone who’s ever waited too long to eat a tomato or tried to drink milk well past its expiration date knows what perishable means. Sometimes, the shelf life of perishables can be extended through some form of processing, such as aging, pickling, drying, freeze-drying, or freezing, among others. But in most cases, you just have to eat ’em before they “go bad.”

This is why nonperishable food is important during emergencies, such as natural disasters, when the regular supply of food is interrupted and electricity may not be available to run refrigerators. Some people keep at least a small supply of nonperishable food items for emergencies or just as part of their normal supply of staples, like dried pasta and bagged snacks. Food banks typically focus on storing nonperishable foods, though many accept perishables as well.

What are some other forms related to perishable?

• perish (verb)
• nonperishable (adjective, noun)
• perishability (noun)
• perishableness (noun)
• perishably (adverb)
• unperishable adjective

What are some synonyms for perishable?

• spoilable

What are some words that often get used in discussing perishable?

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• food
• supply
• produce
• dairy
• goods
• spoil
• expire

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Perishable is most often used to refer to food, but it can also be used to describe other items that can go bad. When it’s used as a noun, it’s usually plural.

FRESH WEEK starts TOMORROW!⁣
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We have enough fresh and perishable items to distribute and we want them to go to those in need.⁣
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May 26 – 29⁣ from 10am – 2pm at Winston St.⁣
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All other locations will remain closed during this week as previously scheduled.

— Greater Vancouver Food Bank (@VanFoodBank)

Our concern is about how Post-harvest is handled by the farmers (safe storage of such perishables). For this reason we are venturing in development of solar cold room storage facilities for the perishables. So that quality and freshness is maintained and farmers earn more.

— PawaGreen Energy (@PawagreenE)

Hey Canada, I have perishable items that were supposed to be delivered TODAY! When will they be delivered? All my packages are arriving more than 10 days late…

— Rossatti (@Prossatti84)

Is perishable used correctly in the following sentence?

Let’s make sure we get all the perishable items in refrigeration.