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Dairy Safety Tips...

Dairy products are packed full of essential nutrients and make up an important part of a nutritionally balanced diet. As a perishable food, it is important to know how to safely store and handle them for maximum freshness. Some basic food safety knowledge and practices will help keep you and your family healthy while enjoying 3 daily servings of dairy.

Download a handout of this information

Basic Food Safety: Reduce risk of food born illness and bacterial contamination by ALWAYS practicing these four steps

  1. Clean: Wash hands & surfaces often
  2. Separate: Don't cross-contaminate. Keep meat and vegetables separate both on work surfaces and in the refrigerator.
  3. Cook: Cook foods to the proper temperatures and keep food hot after cooking. Bacteria multiply most readily between 40 and 140° F
  4. Chill: Refrigerate promptly. Perishable foods should be refrigerated within 2 hours (1 hour when outside temperatures are > 90°

Shopping, Transporting, Using & Storing Dairy:

  • When shopping, pick up milk and other dairy products last and put them away as soon as you get home from the store. 
  • Look at the 'sell-by' date when choosing packages / containers
  • When purchasing frozen dairy products like ice cream, make sure that the container is fully frozen. Avoid packages with a sticky residue or ice crystals - indications that the product has been partially thawed. 
  • Don't keep dairy products out of the refrigerator or cooler longer than necessary.
  • The colder you can keep your refrigerator the better, but maintain temperatures below 40° F
  • Aim to store products like milk, cheese and butter in the back of your refrigerator, away from the warm air that enters upon each opening. 
  • Moldy yogurt, sour cream, and soft cheeses should be thrown away.
  • Moldy hard cheese may be used after cutting off at least 1" around the mold.
  • To avoid introducing new bacteria, never return unused milk or cream back to its original container. 
  • Wrap opened cheese in a moisture-free wrap and store in a tightly sealed plastic container.
  • The FDA, CDC, state health departments, and medical professionals all recommend only consuming pasteurized dairy products to reduce risk of potentially harmful bacteria found in raw milk.

Shelf-Life of Common Dairy Foods: (for more information visit the American Dietetics Association at www.eatright.org/Public.)

  • Milk: use within 1 week of opening
  • Yogurt: use within 7 days of purchase
  • Hard Cheeses: Use within 3-4 weeks (may be frozen but taste & texture may suffer)
  • Softer Cheeses:
    • Ricotta: 5 days
    • Cream Cheese: 2 weeks
    • Cottage Cheese: 10-30 days
    • Processed cheese spread: 3-4 weeks once opened
  • Ice Cream: 2-4 months

Food Safety Resources: