Is It Safe to Eat Greek Yogurt After the Date on the Label? (2024)

This article originally appeared on Spoon U and was written by Olivia Olson. It has been given minor edits before re-posting.

Yogurt is a lifesaver. As someone who values a good night's sleep, I prefer to sleep in as long as possible before running to my 9 a.m. class on the other side of campus. In order to not skimp out on the most important meal of the day, I keep my fridge full of fa*ge strawberry split cup Greek yogurts.

Since I try to stay organized, I buy enough individual yogurt cups at a time to get me through a couple weeks of classes before making another Whole Foods run. Sometimes I miss the mark and forget to check the expiration dates, leaving me with more cups of expired Greek yogurt than I know what to do with, and end up throwing away what studies suggest to be perfectly edible yogurt.

Every yogurt has a sell by date on the container. While it's easy to assume it's best to throw away the product after this date, this is simply the last day a manufacturer will support their product's quality, not its safety.

If Greek yogurt is properly sealed and refrigerated at the right temperature, it can be safe to eat yogurt 14 to 24 days after the sell-by date, but the taste will become more sour as the product gets older. The longer the yogurt sits in the fridge, the more watery substance forms on top of the yogurt. But never fear -- that substance is just whey, a natural protein found in dairy products that contains protein and is safe to eat.

Expired yogurt is a large contributor to food waste in America because people are unsure of "the quality or safety of the item." But now that you know you can eat yogurt for up to two weeks after the sell-by date, you can help lower food waste while enjoying a yummy breakfast. And if you're still unsure if your yogurt's safe or not, if it smells and looks alright, then keep calm and eat on.