How Long Can You Drink Expired Milk?
Expired milk should not be consumed, as it may contain harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning. It is best to discard milk that has gone past its expiration date, as the milk may develop a sour or off odor and a thick, clumpy consistency.
Since dates are applied to guarantee quality, it is likely that the milk is safe to drink past the date printed on the carton. While many people think that you should not drink milk after the date printed on the carton, according to the Dairy Council of California, it is usually safe to drink after its best-by date.
When it comes to drinking milk, the date on the carton may not be representative of how fresh the product is inside. The date that you will find stamped on the bottle or carton of milk is a sell-by date, and the milk inside may still be fresh the next few days. When reaching for your carton of milk at the grocery store, you likely look at the sell-by or best-by dates–those handy labels that help you figure out just how fresh a product can still be.
When buying milk, check the best-by date to ensure that it has not passed by yet (most grocery stores ensure their supplies are current). When grocery shopping, be sure to carefully check the sell-by date on your milk carton, making sure that it is at least five days from its current date. It is important that you check a milk carton while buying to ensure the shelf life has not passed. Use-by dates and sale dates differ between states, so it is not uncommon to see cartons being tossed out while still fresh and safe for consumption simply due to a milk sale-by date.
Milk, once purchased, should never be kept past the sell-by date for longer than five days, because it can easily spoil at this point. Generally, you can keep Milk refrigerated up to seven days, but beyond five days, it will usually lose its freshness, and the flavor will turn sour. Milk often keeps several days longer than the traditional best-by dates, and checking if it is still fresh is simple with a quick glance and sniff. Filtered milks such as Arla Cravendale and Arla Big Milk can often last longer, provided they are refrigerated and stored correctly.
Milk can last for a solid week when stored well; however, storing your milk improperly can make it spoil sooner. There is no way to know exactly how long the milk will last past the use-by date, although unopened milk is thought to typically remain good for 5-7 days1. Generally, unopened milk will stay good for 5-7 days past its labeled date, whereas opened milk will remain good for at least 2-3 days beyond this date.
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This kind of milk typically stays good for 2-4 weeks past its labeled date when stored in a cool, dry area, like your pantry, and for up to 1-2 months when kept refrigerated. As long as your milk has been refrigerated correctly, it should still be usable for a week after its labeled date — maybe even two weeks, depending on your fridges temperature. Keeping your milk refrigerated consistently, and sealing your containers tightly after every use, will help keep the milk fresh up to one week past the shelf life date on your package. If your milk is spoiling before the use-by date on your container, it is possible that your fridge is too warm.
| Steps | |
| Add the milk | Add the milk in a pot |
| Set the temp to 161 degF | Heat the milk at 161 degF |
| Keep heating for 15 seconds | Heat it for 15 seconds or until it forms bubbles in it |
When kept below safe storage temperatures, your milk (and other foods) will not stay fresh or safe to eat, even after its use-by date. It is important to note that expiration dates will vary depending on the type of milk you buy, the way that the milk is stored, and the way it is packaged. In this article, we will discuss how long milk may remain safe beyond its expiration date, and we will explain what different dates on food and beverage labels mean.
The milk shelf life or Best By date, best when used by, is basically a guideline for how long the milk is going to be optimally fresh when handled and stored correctly. Eat By Date, an organization that educates consumers about how long foods can last, says milk will last five to seven days past the best before date. While there is no set hard-and-fast rule on when you should throw out your dairy, researchers have found that unopened milk typically can last between five to seven days past its listed shelf life. According to Healthline, there are some simple steps that can be taken to help dairy products last longer beyond their listed expiration dates.
Unopened, shelf-stable milk typically can last between two to four weeks beyond its best-by date when stored in a cool, dry place, reports Healthline. If not opened, whole milk can last five to seven days, reduced-fat and skimmed milk lasts seven days, and fat-free and lactose-free milk can last seven to 10 days beyond its best-by date, when kept refrigerated. If you have opened your carton of milk, you can expect that it will still be safe to drink for five to seven days after its printed date (How long does milk last?1).
Some sources say that your milk is fine beyond its expiration date, while others say to throw it away just days after opening. If you are unsure if your milk is merely slightly acidic or has gone bad, the best thing to do is throw it out. While pasteurization makes the milk safe for consumption, that does not mean that you can safely leave your milk outside the fridge for long periods, especially once you have opened it.
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Pasteurization methods extend the shelf life of milk for weeks after the processing, where otherwise it would spoil in just one week if left unutilized. Ways to Make Milk Last Longer The process by which milk is processed has a substantial impact on the amount of time that it stays fresh and safe for consumption. Some data suggests that pasteurized milk needs to remain fresh 2-5 days past the shelf life, 10-21 days total.
The reason why the makers of fresh milk must put the sell-by date on their labels is because, as with all refrigerated foods, it is best consumed at the same condition as when sold (e.g.
Is milk good 10 days after expiration date?
All milk lasts four to seven days over its printed date if refrigerated, according to Eat By Date, once it has been opened. Whole milk keeps for five to seven days if unopened; reduced-fat and skim milk keeps for seven days, and non-fat and lactose-free milk keeps for seven to ten days if refrigerated after the marked expiration date.
How long does milk last after you open it?
All milk lasts for 3 to 7 days after the marked expiration date if refrigerated after opening. Whole milk keeps for five to seven days if unopened; reduced-fat and skim milk keeps for seven days; and after the marked expiration date, the milk that doesn’t contain fat and is lactose-free keeps for 7 to 10 days if refrigerated.
Can you drink expired milk if it smells fine?
Milk should be consumable for up to a week after being opened if it has been properly preserved. If you’re still unsure, your senses of smell and taste will assist you here since they’ll let you know if the milk is safe to consume. If the milk doesn’t smell bad, looks normal and tastes well, you’re good to go.