Smart Pantry · Guides
Is milk OK after the date?
Use-by or best before, the sniff test, and freezing: a plain UK guide to milk, one of the foods we bin most.
The short answer
First, check which date your milk has. Some milk has a use-by date and some has a best before date. It makes all the difference.
Use-by: don't use it after the date, even if it smells fine. Freeze it before the date if you won't finish it.
Best before: past the date, smell it and look at it. If it hasn't soured, it's fine to use.
Why milk has two kinds of date
The manufacturer decides whether milk gets a use-by date or a best before date, depending on how it's made. That's why two bottles in your fridge can carry different kinds of date. Some milk now has a best before date where it used to have a use-by, so it's worth reading the label rather than assuming.
Milk with a use-by date
A use-by date is about safety. Drinking milk after its use-by date could make you ill, so don't drink it, cook with it or freeze it once the date has passed.
Don't trust the sniff test on use-by milk. The bacteria that cause food poisoning don't have a smell, so milk can smell perfectly normal and still not be safe.
If you won't finish it in time, freeze it on or before the date.
Milk with a best before date
A best before date is about quality. After the date, the milk is usually still safe, but it may not be at its best. Here, your senses are the right tool: smell it to check it hasn't soured, and look at it for any change in texture.
If it's fine, use it, or freeze it to use later.
Keep it cold
Milk belongs in the fridge, at 5°C or below. Long-life milk can live in the cupboard until you open it, but once it's open it goes in the fridge too. Follow the label's advice after opening: if milk isn't kept cold, it can go off before its date.
Can you freeze milk?
Yes, for up to one month.
- Plastic, not glass. You can freeze milk in its plastic bottle. Glass bottles can crack as the milk expands.
- Smaller amounts work best. Big bottles take a long time to defrost and fill the freezer.
- Try ice cube trays. Frozen milk cubes can go straight into a hot drink or a sauce, no defrosting needed.
- Defrost it safely. Thaw it in the fridge and use it within 24 hours, or use a microwave's defrost setting just before you need it. Give it a shake. Never defrost it on the worktop.
Ways to use up milk
Got milk near its date? Sauces, custard, puddings and scones all use a good amount, and so does a fruit smoothie.
Why milk gets binned anyway
Milk is one of the most binned foods in UK homes. A second bottle gets opened before the first is finished, or a big bottle is more than a small household can get through. Buying the right size and freezing what you won't use in time saves most of it.
Smart Pantry remembers the date on the bottle
Snap your supermarket receipt and your milk goes in with its date, along with the rest of the shop. Your kitchen is sorted by what needs using first, and one reminder at 8am tells you when something is close, while there's still time to freeze it.
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More guides: Is tinned food OK after the date? · Best before vs use-by · Can you eat brown bananas? · How long do potatoes last? · How long does bread last? · How long does cooked rice last? · Eggs after the best before date
Sources: Food Standards Agency, Home food fact checker (Milk section); GOV.UK, Understanding food labelling; WRAP Love Food Hate Waste, Milk. If you're unsure whether food is safe, don't eat it.