How Long Does Milk Last?

So...do you drink milk before the date on the jug or is the date on the jug a sell by date? How long after the printed date is the milk good? Is the sniff test the best indicator?

We use a LOT of milk at my house. We rarely keep milk long enough to worry about the date but we always look for the gallon in the store with a far away date. I don't know what the date really means. We've just always bought milk that way. Do you know?

Is the date a "best if used by" date or a "sell by" date? If it is a sell by date, and assuming the milk was stored properly, how long is it safe to drink?

I did a little research and found out a few things:

eatbydate.com says: When properly stored at or below 40°F, containers of milk last for the time periods past the date printed on the carton as indicated in the table below:

(Unopened)	Refrigerator
	Past Printed Date
Lactose-Free Milk lasts for	7-10 Days
Non-Fat Milk lasts for	7-10 Days
Skim Milk lasts for	7 Days
Reduced-Fat Milk lasts for	7 Days
Whole Milk lasts for	5-7 Days
(Opened)	Refrigerator
	Past Printed Date
All Milk lasts for	5-7 Days

healthyeating.org says "

Although some people think the date printed on your milk carton is an expiration date or a use-by date, in fact, it's the milk's sell-by date. It's probably safe to drink your milk past its date. Here are some considerations."

I also learned Al Capone is supposedly responsible for a date being printed on your milk carton. Cool story here.

So, how do you handle you milk? Is it "use by" or Sell by" for you?

I like the old sniff method. Smells good...drink it!

Filed Under: food