How long can yogurt be out of the fridge without going bad? check this out | how long can yogurt go unrefrigerated
Andrew Henderson
Updated on July 22, 2026
According to the US Department of Health & Human Services, you should throw out yogurt if it’s been out at room temperature for more than two hours. If the temperature is higher than 90 degrees Fahrenheit, you only have one hour to eat that yogurt sitting out of the refrigerator.
Keep it refrigerated after you bring it home from the store, and do not leave yogurt at room temperature for longer than two hours or one hour if the temperature is 90 degrees F or above. If left unrefrigerated longer, bacteria can start to grow.
Can you eat yogurt that hasn’t been refrigerated?
Your yogurt is probably safe to eat. Yogurt will not spoil if left out for a short time – 24 hours or less. That’s one reason why unrefrigerated yogurt can last quite a long time without spoiling, and yogurt kept in the fridge lasts even longer – often several months.
Can unrefrigerated yogurt make you sick?
5. Yogurt. However, even with its bacteria, yogurt spoils when left out for two hours or more at 41-90 degrees Fahrenheit. Even though you may have seen a friend or co-worker eat yogurt that’s been left out for longer, erring on the side of caution is best, as foodborne illness is never something to mess around with.
How can you tell if yogurt is spoiled?
Look for a larger-than-normal amount of liquid on the surface (don’t worry, Greek yogurt is especially prone to some, but if there’s more than usual that’s a warning sign), a curdling texture near the bottom, and any sign of mold. These indicate the entire product has probably gone bad, say the folks at StillTasty.
What happens if you eat spoiled yogurt?
If you eat spoiled yogurt from an opened container, then you may have some painful stomach cramps and diarrhea (possibly nausea) shortly after ingestion. But in both of these instances, the yogurt will taste bad—meaning, you likely won’t even want to eat it in the first place.
Can you get food poisoning from yogurt?
Most symptoms of food poisoning related to yogurt include intestinal distress such as diarrhea. Mold, slow-growing bacteria or microorganisms introduced to the yogurt from added ingredients are the typical causes of food poisoning from yogurt.
Can you get salmonella from yogurt?
You can get very sick from raw (unpasteurized) milk and products made with it, including soft cheeses (such as queso fresco, blue-veined, feta, brie and camembert), ice cream, and yogurt. That’s because raw milk can carry harmful germs, including Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella.
Can you eat room temp yogurt?
Keep yogurt refrigerated. Yogurt left out at room temperature should be eaten within two hours, the USDA recommends. Past that point, it’s not spoiled— yet—but the longer it sits out, the more acidic and rancid it will get, killing off all the good bacteria.
How long does Greek yogurt last after opening?
A good rule of thumb is two weeks, according to Kostro Miller — and that’s the outer limit. “Even if there’s no mold that you can see or smell, you should consume Greek yogurt within 1 to 2 weeks of opening it,” she says.
How long does sealed yogurt last?
The EatByDate and Food University blogs explain unopened Greek yogurt is safe to eat one to two weeks after the sell-by date, as long as it has been in the refrigerator. Regular yogurt is safe even longer — up to two to three weeks. The older it gets, the more sour it will taste.
Can you eat curdled yogurt?
Curdled yogurt is fine to eat if it has curdled from heat. This will appear as a thin layer of liquid sitting atop the rest of the more solid yogurt. This is also perfectly fine to stir back into the yogurt and eat, as long as the yogurt does not have a rancid smell, or has not clumped up like cottage cheese.
Can you freeze yogurt?
Fresh yoghurt freezes remarkably well for up to two months. You will need to then transfer the yoghurt to an airtight container. Freeze pre-portioned amounts of yoghurt if your plan is to use it for smoothies or baking. Fill one to two ice cube trays with yoghurt and freeze for a few hours until solid.
Can you get botulism from yogurt?
botulinum toxin in a food incriminated in an outbreak of foodborne botulism. The levels were 1750-3750 MLD per 125 g carton of yoghurt. The detection of Cl. botulinum type B toxin in one can of conserve provided evidence that the yoghurt was contaminated by this ingredient.
What can I do with out of date yogurt?
Is Expired Yogurt Safe? 9 Fun Ways to Use Expired Yogurt
Put it in some delicious coffee. Save. GIF via Giphy. Make whipped cream. Save. GIF via Giphy. Bake it. Save. Make some killer pasta. Save. Spread it on bread. Save. Concoct the best chip dip ever. Save. Toss it in a salad. Save. Marinate your meat in yogurt. Save.