USDA gives yogurt 1–2 weeks in the refrigerator, counted from the day you buy it. The date on the lid, usually a use-by or best-by date, is the maker's estimate of peak quality, so a sealed, cold yogurt is often still good for a while after it, as long as it looks and smells normal.
Mold is the dealbreaker. USDA says to throw out moldy yogurt, not scrape it. Frozen, yogurt keeps 1–2 months, though it thaws with a grainier texture.
Storage Facts
Yogurt and other cultured dairy, at 40°F (4°C) or below
- Yogurt, fridge from purchase
- 1–2 weeks
- Yogurt, freezer
- 1–2 months
- Kefir, fridge from purchase
- 1 week
- Kefir, fridge after opening
- 1–2 days
- Sour cream, fridge
- Package use-by date
- Cottage cheese, fridge from purchase
- 2 weeks
- Cottage cheese, after opening
- 1 week
What the date on the lid means
No federal rule requires a date on yogurt, so the manufacturer chooses both the date and the phrase. USDA describes a use-by date as “the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality” and a best-by date as a flavor and quality date, not a safety date. For yogurt, that's mostly about flavor and texture. Extra digits after a date, like the 0417 in the last stamp above, are often a time or production code rather than part of the date.
The catch is the phrase “stored properly.” A cup that sat in a warm car or a lunch bag all afternoon has used up its time faster. Once a perishable food has been out of the fridge for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), USDA advises discarding it, whatever the lid says. Read more on best-by and use-by dates.
How to tell if yogurt has gone bad
- Mold, anywhere. Fuzzy spots or colored specks on the surface or under the lid. Throw out the whole container. USDA's mold chart puts yogurt and sour cream in the discard column because mold can reach below the surface of high-moisture foods and bacteria can grow alongside it.
- An off smell that's different from yogurt's normal clean sourness.
- A big change in texture, such as a yogurt that has turned watery and curdled all the way through.
A thin layer of clear liquid on top is different. That's whey separating out of the yogurt, a known texture issue for yogurt makers, and you can stir it back in. Don't sniff a container that already shows mold, and don't taste yogurt to decide. When in doubt, throw it out.
Buying a 12-pack of cups? They usually share one date. Scan one lid and FreshScan reminds you two days before, which is a good morning to move the rest into lunches or smoothies.
Free on theApp StoreOpened tubs
FoodKeeper doesn't give a separate after-opening time for yogurt, so the 1–2 weeks from purchase is the outer limit either way. Opening a large tub lets in air, and every spoon that goes in can carry in mold spores or bacteria. A few habits help it last:
- Use a clean spoon every time, and don't eat straight from the tub if others will share it.
- Put the lid back on right away and return the tub to the fridge instead of leaving it on the table through a meal.
Freezing yogurt
FoodKeeper gives yogurt 1–2 months in the freezer. NDSU Extension notes that cultured, soured dairy products lose their smooth texture when frozen: they turn grainy and sometimes separate out their water. They still work for cooking, baking and smoothies. Freeze single cups as they are, or spoon plain yogurt into an ice cube tray for smoothie portions. Thaw it in the fridge.
Milk behaves differently; see how long milk keeps. For everything else in the dairy drawer, the shelf life chart has FoodKeeper times, and the food expiration calculator turns a purchase date into a use-by day.
Questions people ask
Can you eat yogurt a week after the expiration date?
Often, if the cup is sealed, has been kept at 40°F or below and shows no mold or off smell. USDA gives yogurt 1 to 2 weeks in the fridge from the day you buy it, and the date on the lid is the maker's quality estimate. If it has mold anywhere, or you're unsure, throw it out rather than tasting it.
Can I scrape mold off yogurt and eat the rest?
No. USDA lists yogurt and sour cream as foods to discard when moldy, because mold can spread below the surface of moist foods and bacteria can grow along with it.
What is the liquid on top of yogurt?
It is whey, the watery part of milk, which separates out of yogurt as it sits. A thin layer on an otherwise normal yogurt is common; you can stir it back in. It is a different thing from mold, an off smell, or a yogurt that has turned watery and curdled all the way through.
Does Greek yogurt last longer than regular yogurt?
USDA's FoodKeeper doesn't separate them: it gives yogurt as a whole 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator from purchase. Follow the date on the container as your quality guide and check before eating.
Sources
- FSIS FoodKeeper Data — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (data.gov, public domain)
- How long can you keep dairy products like yogurt, milk, and cheese in the refrigerator? — Ask USDA (USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service)
- Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous? — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. The FSIS handling chart is reproduced in WSU Extension's Molds on Food handout: https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2057/2021/03/Molds-on-Food-LC.pdf
- Food Product Dating — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Food Freezing Basics: Freezing Dairy Products, Eggs and Other Foods — NDSU Extension
- Improving yogurt's texture without adding ingredients — University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences