How long milk last

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Learn the shelf life of 21 specific foods, the signs of spoiled foods, and how to store them properly to keep them fresh longer. How Long Does Milk Last? If unopened, the shelf life differs, depending on the type of milk: Whole milk: days. Reduced-fat milk and skim milk: 7 days. Non-fat milk and lactose-free milk: days. Why Does Milk Spoil? Signs of Milk Spoilage Not all bacteria are killed during the pasteurization process. Keep an eye out for these signs of milk spoilage: Discoloration — off-white or yellowish tinge Thick, lumpy texture Sour smell Your senses are the most reliable instruments to tell if your milk has gone bad.

Store milk in the main body of the fridge. On the fridge door, warm air enters every time you open it, causing the bacteria to grow more rapidly in the milk. Always keep the milk carton closed tightly to prevent contamination and absorption of other bad smells from the fridge. This neutralizes the lactic acid content and keeps the milk fresh for a week more after its expiration date.

Do not return leftover milk to the carton or container. Freeze milk to prolong its shelf life for four more months. You get fatty chunks and watery parts, which are not appetizing at all. But if you find yourself in the middle of making dinner and aren't sure if a key ingredient has gone bad, referring to USDA guidelines and paying attention to sensory clues can also go a long way toward reducing the risk of food-borne illnesses.

Research has found that sell-by dates on milk cartons significantly influence perceptions of safety — which results in a lot of milk spilled down the drain. But as long as milk has been properly refrigerated, it should be still drinkable up to a week past the date label — and maybe up to two weeks, depending on the temperature of your refrigerator. But not everyone is throwing away milk that makes noses crinkle.

You might want to draw the line when milk starts to get chunky, though. At that point, your milk is on its way to becoming cheese. No one likes a bad egg. Thankfully, eggs have a surprisingly long shelf life if kept in a fridge — up to five weeks after their sell-by date. If the egg looks and smells normal, it's probably fair game for your omelet. Most hard and semi-soft cheeses will keep around six weeks after the printed sell-by date. Mold generally can't penetrate far into hard and semisoft cheeses.

These cheeses have a higher moisture content, which makes it easier for molds to penetrate the entire block or container. If you live alone, you can probably relate to the struggle of finishing an entire loaf of bread by yourself. Bread is typically safe to consume at least a week beyond its sell-by date — and maybe longer, depending on how much you like the taste of stale bread.

Most food safety experts would recommend throwing away the whole loaf if you spot a moldy slice or two. Nothing conjures fears of spending the night in the bathroom or ER quite like contaminated meat. And, coincidentally, knowing whether meat is still safe to eat can be a bit trickier. The USDA recommends that poultry and ground meats should be used or frozen within one to two days of purchase. Cuts of beef have a little more leeway and can hang out in your fridge around three to five days after purchase.

But these guidelines may strike some as overly conservative. If you trust your nose, you may be able to fudge these recommendations a bit. It's normal for raw meat to have a slight, neutral odor. These labels vary from state to state, so it's not unusual for things to get a little confusing and for milk to be thrown out while it's still good and safe for consumption. H owever, it's important to note that expiration dates vary based on what kind of milk you're purchasing, how it's stored, and how it's packaged.

For example, "With raw or unpasteurized milk, these spoilage rates increase, as with milk made without preservatives," says Pasieka. And of course, where and how you store your milk is pivotal to its freshness.

According to the FDA , if milk is left un-refrigerated for more than two hours, it's considered unsafe to consume.

Believe it or not, there's even a specific location in your fridge where you should be keeping your milk — and it's not on the door's shelves. When milk is stored on the refrigerator door's shelves, it's being exposed to warm air each time it's opened, which encourages bacterial growth. If you think that your milk might have prematurely expired, use your senses' best judgment. If a food has developed such spoilage characteristics, it should not be eaten," says the United States Department of Agriculture.

You'll never have to worry about these 9 foods ever expiring , though. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options.

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