Food Facts: Yogurt

Many of us have grown so used to reading labels on food that we have, collectively, lost the ability to identify food that is good to eat without a time stamp and full instructions printed on the label. Food does not expire on the date given and knowing when it is still good can save a lot of money. In this series I will be looking at foods with this in mind.

Yogarts are a yummy and healthy food and they often a good choice with hungry children.

Modern yogurt are, for the most part, sold in airtight plastic containers with a foil lid. This gives us a perfect barometer for the state of the yogurt inside. When yoghurt expires it gives of gasses which can not escape as a result the lid of the yogurt pot starts to budlge upwards under the pressure. When this has not happened the content is most likely still safe to eat.

The general consensus of my straw poll was that shop brought yogurt will last an extra month unopened past the sell by date. Obviously if it smell sour, has green, black or red things that should not be there, goes crusty or tastes "off" then you might want to think twice (or even three times).

On the whole dates are set earlier then they need to be because it makes it easier and less risky for the people selling it.

Yahoo answers and askville both have a discusion on the subject of yogurts and thier kin.


Disclaimer: please use your head. None of us are food scientists, clinical technicians or experts in the field of food sciences. As such nothing here should be taken as advice because, although we understand it all to be true we are only writing this to share what we "know" and have no desire to be sued if you do something stupid or we get something wrong.

Photo credit: Jason McKim