Q&A for How to Tell if Milk is Bad

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  • Question
    Is milk sour if there are white flakes in it?
    Community Answer
    Yes. White floating flakes are a sign of spoiled milk. You should toss it immediately.
  • Question
    What are the symptoms of having drunk bad milk?
    Community Answer
    Sometimes nothing will happen, but you risk contracting food poisoning. This is usually accompanied by symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and it can be quite severe.
  • Question
    If the expiration date on milk is five days past its use-by date, but doesn't smell or taste weird, is it still safe?
    Community Answer
    Yes. If it doesn't seem spoiled, it's fine.
  • Question
    If my milk isn't expired, but it has been over a week since I opened it, is it safe to drink?
    Community Answer
    The best way to tell for sure is to open the milk, pour some into a class, and observe/smell it. If it smells and looks okay, then it should be fine to drink.
  • Question
    My milk might have been out of the fridge for an unknown length of time. I just opened it -- it is chocolate milk, and it seems to have a darker base. Should I be worried?
    Community Answer
    The darker "base" may simply be the chocolate that has settled toward the bottom of the container. Did you shake it up before opening? That said, if you believe it's been left out of the fridge, especially in warm temperatures, you should just toss it.
  • Question
    Can I still cook with milk that smells bad but hasn't expired yet and looks okay?
    Community Answer
    No. If it smells bad, it is bad, regardless of what the expiration date says.
  • Question
    Is it okay to use milk on the day of its expiration?
    Community Answer
    It depends. Smell it, then try a small taste. If the smell and taste hasn't altered, it is probably fine.
  • Question
    Why is it that when I warm up my milk, it has oil in it?
    Community Answer
    That is the fat content of the milk melting and floating to to the top, because oil is less dense than water (the "base" of milk).
  • Question
    If milk is kept cold and was never opened but is several weeks past its buy date, can it still be good?
    Community Answer
    It's very unlikely that it would still be good, but if you really want to try it, open it and see if it smells rancid. You should be able to tell.
  • Question
    Is milk safe to drink if it has sat out for an unknown amount of time?
    Community Answer
    It depends. Smell it, then try a small taste. If the smell and taste hasn't altered, you're probably fine.
  • Question
    If milk was opened on its "best buy" date and I want to drink it several days later, is it safe?
    Community Answer
    If it looks, tastes, and smells fine, it's your call. If it's obviously bad, throw it out.
  • Question
    What causes the milk to smell foul when its been spoiled?
    Community Answer
    Bacteria such as lactococci and lactobacilli can form, and their by-products produce the odor.
  • Question
    I drank a small quantity of extraordinarily bitter milk, which actually burned my tongue a little. What was it?
    Shannon Harrison
    Community Answer
    Probably buttermilk and not regular milk. Buttermilk has a definitive smell and a bitter taste. It's also much thicker than regular milk.
  • Question
    What if the milk is a month past the best before date?
    Community Answer
    Throw it out. There is a good chance you would get very ill from drinking milk a month past its sell by date.
  • Question
    What does frozen milk look like?
    Community Answer
    Ice cream. Milk usually has little water content, so it can’t really freeze well.
  • Question
    I just bought milk a few minutes ago, and it's not really white as usual, but it taste normal. Is it still okay to drink it?
    Community Answer
    Check the expiration date first, then drink it. If the milk tastes normal, it's probably fine.
  • Question
    Is milk bad if it is powdery?
    Community Answer
    If the whole jug is powdery, don't drink it. If there's some on the lid, it's fine.
  • Question
    When milk separates into a lumpy consistency, is that yogurt?
    Community Answer
    When making yogurt (or cheese), people follow specific steps that allow the milk to curdle without producing dangerous bacteria. If your milk curdles on its own, it is likely that it contains some bacteria that are not present in finished yogurt. Throw it out! If you're interested, you can look up directions for making yogurt. It's not that hard to do at home.
  • Question
    My milk passed all the tests, but it expired 32 days ago, is it still good?
    Community Answer
    Absolutely not. The longest your milk can last past the expiration date is 10 days. Throw it out.
  • Question
    My milk feel a little heavy and chunky when I used a spoon to mix it, it smelled bad and had little white flakes and is one day before expiration date. Should I be worried and throw it out?
    Community Answer
    Yes, you should. Bad smells mostly mean bad milk plus sometimes the expiration date isn't always correct if the milk has not been stored properly.
  • Question
    If milk changes its consistency from thin to thick few days after opening, but still smells and tastes normal, is it safe?
    Pingu
    Top Answerer
    Naturally, if you let milk stay for some time, the part with more fat, which has a thicker consistency, will float at the top and the parts with less fat on the bottom. If this is what happened, it's still safe to drink, and this is even the process used to make cream. However, milk sometimes gets processed in a way that this doesn't happen. This is indicated by some text on the package that the milk was homogenized or has emulgators added. If such milk significantly changes consistency, you shouldn't drink it.
  • Question
    My milk has a plastic aftertaste, as it was in a plastic container, but it smells fine. Is it okay to drink if it is one day past the sell by date?
    Community Answer
    If it looks rotten, throw it out. If it doesn't, use baking soda on a small amount of it. If it bubbles, throw it out.
  • Question
    If my milk has a lump in it, is it still good?
    Community Answer
    No. The acid in the milk going bad has caused the proteins to curdle, forming lumps.
  • Question
    Is milk bad if it's making a crackling sound?
    Community Answer
    No the milk is not bad it is the sound of when you pour cereal that is crispy into the bowl. The liquid puts pressure on the air inside and pushes it around. The air shoves against each pocket's walls until they shatter, making it produce the sound of popping.
  • Question
    What if my milk tastes sour, but smells absolutely fine?
    Community Answer
    Do not drink it. Spoiled milk can make you sick. If your milk tastes sour, throw it away.
  • Question
    Will milk be safe to consume if it has an odd consistency?
    Community Answer
    No; this is one of the first signs that the milk has turned bad.
  • Question
    How do I tell if my new milk is spoiled?
    Community Answer
    The main way to know if milk has spoiled is to smell it. Fresh milk has a clean smell, bad milk will smell off to you. The best way to stop milk going bad is don't open it up very long (i.e. the air causes the bacteria in the milk to grow quickly). Sealed milk (that has been stored correctly) will last longer than daily used milk.
  • Question
    Is milk bad if it has a thick cream on the top?
    Community Answer
    Over time, thick cream will form on the top of the milk (usually occurs with raw milk which hasn't been homogenised). Smell it and it will let you know if it has gone bad. If it smells clean, then shake to mix the fat content with the water content. A good idea is to mix the milk every few days (tip the milk upside down) to keep the fat solids inside the milk.
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