How Long Does Plain Yogurt Last?

An unopened tub generally holds 1-2 weeks past its printed date in the fridge, since yogurt's already-cultured, acidic nature gives it a built-in resistance to the kind of spoilage a neutral dairy product faces sooner — a sharp sour smell distinctly beyond its normal tang, visible mold on the surface, or a watery layer tinted pink or orange (rather than the normal clear liquid) are the real signs a tub has turned.

Because yogurt is often eaten straight from the tub over several days with a shared spoon, using a clean utensil each time and pressing the lid firmly shut between servings does more to extend an opened tub's usable window than almost anything else, since cross-contamination from a used spoon introduces bacteria that can shorten its life well before the printed date would suggest trouble. Storing yogurt toward the back of the fridge, at the coldest and most consistent temperature, also helps it hold its quality more evenly than a tub kept in a door shelf. A thin layer of clear liquid pooling on top of an otherwise normal-looking tub is just separated whey and can be stirred back in or poured off, not a sign of spoilage on its own. Yogurt with fruit or flavoring stirred in or layered at the bottom generally shouldn't be judged on the same timeline as a plain tub, since the added sugars and fruit solids can shorten its usable window compared to unflavored yogurt held under otherwise identical conditions. A tub that's crossed from tangy into genuinely sour and unpleasant, even without visible mold, is worth trusting your own taste on rather than assuming the printed date is the only thing that matters.

See Plain Yogurt's full storage & shelf-life guide (with spoilage signs) →