How old would unopened yogurt have to be for you to consider it too old to eat?

My father used to keep unopened yoghurt (a national brand, the kind you’re supposed to keep refrigerated) in his backpack. It never went bad. But I bought a cheap brand of yoghurt at a dollar store once and it was about 2 months past its sell by date. It had a funny color but didn’t smell bad to me. I tried it. OOoopsie! It was nasty. So open it, smell it, and if you’re brave enough, try it.

I would throw it out after the expiration date. It’s not expensive enough for me to test.

If I wanted to test the limits I would give it a smell and a look and proceed from there.

If you get food poisoning from it it is worth a penny of what you saved by not tossing it. If in doubt, throw it out.

Closed and sealed and refrigerated, 3 months. Open it. It will need to be stirred, but it’s not bad.

If it has discolored or it smells unlike yogurt, then toss it. But three months is no issue at all.

I honestly don’t really pay any attention to expiration dates on dairy products. I rely on my keen sense of smell. The smell of any type of spoiled sour
dairy is unmistakable.

I drink milk so fast and so often that it almost never spoils before I finish it.

And I’ve never had a bad container of Yogurt. I tend to stock up big time when my favorite brand (Brown Cow) goes on sale so I can have it sitting in the fridge for 6 months or more.

And my favorite brand os Sour Cream usually only goes on sale for 99 cents per container once a year in the Fall at Meijers. But Breakstones seals their containers really well and as long as it’s not broken, it’s fine for close to a year. A few days ago I cleaned out the fridge and found a few containers from last Sept.

The seals were intact and it tasted just fine, delicious as usual. I used up one whole container with absolutely no ill effects and I still have a couple
more left.

There was one time a few years ago when there was one container with a loose seal. It smelled ok but I took just a tiny bit on the end of the spoon to taste. It was unusually bitter so in the garbage it went.

Spoiled dairy is pretty much impossible to eat or drink cuz you just can’t get past the smell or the taste. So, I’m not worried about it.

I’m much more concerned with not buying canned food with significant dents (which can possibly weaken the metal) because Botulism is a whole lot more deadly.

The typical result of drinking slightly spoiled milk is diarrhea, not death.

If the carton is visibly swelled, or has burst it’s seems.

If it’s producing gas, I tend to avoid it.

In my lifetime I have eaten yogurt that was months out of date without pause.

I’ve had yogurt in my own refrigerator start to mold (in a container that I had previously opened and then replaced in the fridge), and, like cheese or vegetables starting to go bad, if the mold isn’t all through the product, I just scrape or cut off the objectionable part (and drain any liquid off the top), and consume it.

It’s just mold; it’s not going to kill you. If it has changed the flavor or the appearance or smell has put you off, then by all means replace it.

Meat and eggs that go bad are a different story. Bacteria are more likely to kill you or make you very sick (and wish that you were dead), so those products don’t get so much leeway.

I don’t really roll the dice with food poisoning. Saving a few bucks isn’t worth the torture of your body trying to turn itself inside-out.

I figure if it is not furry I will eat it. I just give it an extra stirring. Around 6 months after expiration is probably the oldest I’ve ever eaten. (My poverty stricken nephew refused to eat expired food so he gives it to me. I eat it to show him it is ok but the lesson is lost. )
I hate wasting food – and money.

I probably wouldn’t eat it or serve it a day or 2 after the expiration date. I live with people with compromised immune systems.

Here is a Guide

Actually, if I find an unopened container of yogurt in the fridge and there’s no sign of spoilage (swelling, off smell), I just eat. I don’t look at the date.

Unopened airtight containers tend to let you know when they need to be tossed. Inspect. Open. Listen. Sniff.

I say listen because if there’s a hiss or slight spew when I break the seal on non-carbonated items, I likely will not eat them.

I think you’re much more likely to be sickened by mishandled unexpired food than by properly handled, but expired, food. MANY times I have pointed out bulged food at a store, only to be met with a shrug and “It’s still good for ______,” when they checked the expiration date.

You’re absolutely right about that and if that bulging is due to Botulism, even a tiny bit can have deadly consequences.

Rule of thumb, @Buttonstc: If the container was unopened or if I was the last to close it, bulge is trash.

Everyone in a household has to handle food responsibly, or keep their own.