To avoid any risk of illness, it is important to follow the instructions on your food packaging!
The expiration date on the packaging is an indicator of the product’s freshness and quality. Your yoghurts have already expired and you’re wondering if you can still eat them?
Is there a risk of eating them after the best-before date? The experts shed some light on the subject!
Can an expired product still be eaten?
Your yoghurts have been in the fridge for several days now, and the use-by date has passed? According to general food safety recommendations, it is always inadvisable to consume a food product after its best-before date.
The products concerned by the best-before date are fresh foods sold in the refrigerated sections of stores and supermarkets, such as meat, fish, dairy products and cold meats.
Beyond this date, there is an increased risk of bacterial contamination, which can lead to health problems such as gastrointestinal infections.
Eating an expired product can lead to undesirable symptoms and put your health at risk.
Is it safe to eat expired yogurt?
There are special cases, such as yoghurt. In general, manufacturers set the use-by date for yoghurts at 30 days after the production date.
However, whether it’s plain, fruit or sweetened yoghurt , these can be eaten a few days after the best-before date.
However, the cold chain must have been correctly respected and the product must have been kept in the refrigerator between 0 and 6 degrees!
In fact, according to ANSES, yogurt « does not present a high level of microbiological risk, as it is an acidic medium, containing large quantities of ferments, in which pathogenic germs develop with difficulty ».
As a result, you can afford to exceed the best-before date on yoghurts by just a few days!
Please note : this exception applies only to yoghurts, and not to all fresh dairy products (such as dairy desserts).
Nevertheless, the best-before date must be respected to avoid any risk.
Did you know?
A useful tip if you’re unsure about how to store a food!
Swollen packaging, the absence of a « pop » when you open a jar, an unpleasant odour or an abnormal color should alert you!
Trust your senses and instincts: a visually unusual product with an unpleasant odor should be a red flag for you!