I re-opened this container the other day for my breakfast - I checked the best before date and it was still good......or was it?


And this is what greeted me.

I have always been a stickler for best before dates and thought I was being conscientious and frugal by eating the rest of this yogurt before it went bad. It had a few more days before it was past it’s due date or so I thought.

Too late!

What I found out after a bit of searching around on the internet is that once yogurt has been opened, limit it to one week in the fridge, then toss it — even if the date is still current.

I am going to keep to my own refrigerator shelf life of 3 - 4 days (which is how long I store soup, stews, any leftovers).

Those best before dates are there for selling purposes for unopened sealed product not for storing it in your fridge after opening it.

The cultures in yogurt don’t live forever and when they die mold starts to grow. The bacteria acts as a preservative.

Signs to look for—

When you open your yogurt it’s normal for liquid to be on top. If there is more than normal it might be a sign that the yogurt is starting to spoil regardless of the date on the package.


Stir it and if it mixes back to a creamy consistency it’s fine. If it doesn’t mix well, toss it. Also look for curdling or chunking as I call it - it looks a bit dry and cracked in spots.


If you see mold like I did - don't scrape it off and eat the "good parts". There are no good parts in any food if mold is found.


I usually purchase my yogurt in 500g tubs rather than the smaller one serving containers. Although I’ve used the one serving kind before, I have never had a spoiled yogurt.

Now I know. Best before dates are there for the grocer’s shelf life NOT for opened products.

My advice?

Treat any opened product as you would any leftovers you’ve stored - 3-4 days.

Someone once told me —

If in doubt, throw it out!

photos by

https://www.canitgobad.net/can-yogurt-go-bad/
Nikon D3100
Adobe Lightroom

Here is a list of blogs I read and somewhat sourced.

https://www.canitgobad.net/can-yogurt-go-bad/
https://www.eatbydate.com
https://spoonuniversity.com
https://www.ehow.com