How to tell if yogurt is bad, How long does yogurt last in the fridge.

how to tell if yogurt is bad

Yogurt is a popular and healthy fermented milk product, but it can become spoiled if you do not store it properly. Also, there is an interesting thing is that, most of the spoiled foods are tasted sour and yogurts are mainly sour tasted. Therefore, it might be critical for you to distinguish between good yogurt and spoiled yogurt. However, every food products have a certain shelf life and fermented milk products have a little range of this and they may become spoiled quickly. So, today this post is basically on how to tell if yogurt is bad. By moving on the post, hopefully you will be able to learn some important matters.

How to tell if yogurt is bad?

Check the expiration date: This is the common principle to determine a spoiled food. Before buying yogurt from a store, please check the date of manufacture and the date of expiration. Generally, yogurt may last for 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator if you store it properly.

Observe carefully: See the yogurt and if you find the growth of molds, fungi or you can see any discoloration, please do not eat it. Because, these signs indicate that your yogurt is no longer suitable for eating. So, you better to throw it away. Also, please avoid eating this yogurt by throwing out the visible fungi or mold way, because there are a lot more which are not visible.

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Smell it: Basically, spoiled yogurt gives a rancid smell. If you are an expert and a regular yogurt consumer, then you can easily identify the spoiled or rotten yogurt.

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Stir it: Stir the yogurt and check its consistency. If it remains the same, then it is definitely a good one. But, it will become clumpy or lose its regular consistency if it becomes bad.

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What happens if you eat expired yogurt?


Diarrhea: Diarrhea is the most common symptom of foodborne illness. According to researches, foodborne illnesses are mainly caused by bacteria that can occur through inaccurate food handling. Bacteria can also grow in aged or improperly stored yogurt. Discussion on yogurt for Diarrhea you can read.

However, diarrhea is a common sign which occurs after one has consumed expired yogurt, since the body is pretending to free itself of harmful toxins the yogurt provided. Therefore, to prevent such phenomenon, please carefully check the expiration dates on yogurt packaging and never consume it if it is expired. Besides these, If you experience diarrhea, you must ensure that your body is gaining a sufficient amount of fluid.

Vomiting: Vomiting can occur if you eat expired yogurt. Excessive vomiting may lead you to physical discomfort, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance as well. Since, extensive vomiting is a concern, you should consult with your doctor to get rid of that.

Abdominal cramping: You may develop cramping in your abdominal area if you consume expired yogurt. Abdominal cramping usually occurs because of eating contaminated food and it provides a delay symptoms. Along with that, the symptoms may last from hours to days depending upon how much and what type of bacteria you have consumed.

Causes of yogurt poisoning

There are several reasons of yogurt poisoning, these include:

Improper production technology: As I said yogurt is a fermented milk product, the milk should be free of contamination. Because, the use of contaminated milk, penetration of infectious pathogen to the reactor can cause yogurt poisoning.

Besides these, improper storage and transportation can also lead to poisoning.

However, these reasons do not only stand for industrial production, but also the same in home production.

Bacteria are also toxins and they are the main cause of immediate negative reactions in the body by the consumption of expired yogurt. Moreover, the bacteria which are responsible for dysentery, reproduce well in sour milk products.

Along with that, these bacteria and the outcomes of their actions cause negative impacts on our digestive organs. In addition, when the toxic substances move into the blood, they may effect on the nervous and cardiovascular system.

Read more about yogurts good bacteria called probiotics from my previous article.

Symptoms of yogurt poisoning

I have already talked about some consequences of eating expired yogurt. Now I am going to tell you some signs of yogurt poisoning. The main symptoms of yogurt poisoning include:

Nausea: Yogurt poisoning can lead to stomach discomfort which is also called nausea. Moreover, nausea can be a precursor to vomiting.

Increased body temperature: You can feel an unusual high temperature (38-39 degree Celsius), but not always.

Physical weakness: You also may feel exhausted, drowsy or headache.

Facial discomfort: Yogurt poisoning leads to dehydration, which results in dry mouth

In children, yogurt poisoning can bring serious conditions. In addition, severe dehydration may result in loss of consciousness.

Some treatments of yogurt poisoning

Diet: As soon as you get ill, it is better to abstain from eating other foods to avoid vomiting. When you start to improve, start taking food gradually in a small amount. Moreover, please try to avoid eating fruits, vegetables, dairy products, spicy and fried foods duing that time.

Drink a lot of water: If yogurt poisoning leads to dehydration, you must drink a lot of water.

Eat liquid foods: Turn some solid foods into liquid such as, rice broth or a solution of starch. However, these foods will provide you with a sufficient amount of fluid.

Medications: Along with natural or home remedies, you might follow medications (antiemetic, antidiarrheal drugs or antimicrobial agents) according to the severity of your condition.

Usually, your condition will start to improve within three days of treatment if it is a mild condition. Besides these, during the period of treatment, you should try to avoid all kinds of foods which irritate your stomach.

To avoid poisoning

You should follow several guidelines to buy a good product. Some tips are as follows:

  • Always try to buy yogurt, which is produced by a renowned manufacturing company.


  • While buying, observe the label carefully


  • If you make yogurt at your home, try to use high quality milk and other ingredients.

How to tell if Greek yogurt is bad

Greek yogurt does go bad also. However, there are some keys to tell if your Greek yogurt is bad.

Liquid on top: It is normal to see some liquid on the top and they are nutrient. But, if you see a lot of liquid on the surface, then no longer they are nutrients and you need to through it away.

Growth of mold: Mold growth is a common sign of expired yogurt in both regular and Greek yogurt.

Shelf –life: Analyzing the shelf-life of the product will give you a precise decision whether you can have it or not. However, Greek yogurt usually remains well in fridge for 2 weeks and 2 months in the freezer.

How long does Greek yogurt last once opened? 

Once opened, Greek yogurt usually lasts for 1 week in the refrigerator and 1 month in the freezer.

Storing yogurt properly and extending the shelf-life

If you have some extra then you can store it for further use. But you need to store it properly so that you can get it in a good condition before using. For short term preservation, you can keep it in a tightly closed container so that moisture cannot pass through it. On the other hand, freezing is the most suitable way to store any fermented dairy products for a long time.

How long does yogurt last in the fridge?

Drinkable yogurt usually lasts for 10 days in the fridge. Greek yogurt lasts for a couple of weeks, low fat yogurt lasts up to 2 weeks and yogurt with fruits generally lasts for 10 days. However, regular yogurt lasts around for 3 weeks in the fridge.

Some tips

Usually, the manufacturers provide a date of expiration that means the yogurt remain in the super quality for those days. But, the yogurt will remain safe for some days after its expiration.

According to the specialists, yogurt can last for 7 days beyond its “sell by” date.

Although if you find the yogurt has been out of its date of expiring, but if you do not find any rotten smell or the growth of fungi or molds, you can use it as a face mask. Besides these, do not get worried if you find liquid on top, because it is normal and it occurs due to bacterial respiration. However, with aging, yogurt becomes more sour in taste. Along with direct consumption, yogurt can also be used in making delicious food recipes.

I would like to conclude saying that, although the food choice is up to you, you must need to be concerned about its validity. Through the post, I have tried to explain several important aspects related to the consumption of eating expired yogurt. However, you eat food to live so your food should be safe always. Although yogurt is an excellent healthy food, it might create an uncomfortable situation if you do not properly maintain the guidelines. I believe the post will be helpful for you. Eat safe, stay healthy.

Emily Rosen

Welcome to Family Yogurt! Here you'll find simple, delicious and healthy, plant-based yogurt recipes and everything you need to eat, live and thrive, chocolate and cookies included.

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