Of course, all food and drink products last for a shorter period of time if they are not stored properly. But remember sweetened condensed milk, like many canned goods, usually has a "best by date" which is the last date by which a manufacturer will vouch for a product's quality, not its safety. Because of this distinction, you may safely use sweetened condensed milk to compliment your favorite meals even after its "best by date" has lapsed.

How to tell if Condensed Milk is bad, rotten or spoiled?

Practicing proper hygiene and food safety techniques will help prevent foodborne illness.

It is the color and texture of the sweetened condensed milk that will change as the product gets older. The sweetened condensed milk will become more yellowish in color (originally it's a light cream color) and will thicken (originally it pours well when started with a knife or spoon) but is still safe to consume for some time.

If your milk has gone bad, check our substitution page.

There are, of course, certain health risks associated with spoiled foods so always remember to practice food safety and enjoy your foods before their shelf life has expired!

How to store Condensed Milk to extend its shelf life?

Cans of sweetened condensed milk should be kept at a constant temperature in a cool dry place like the pantry. In addition, opened sweetened condensed milk should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Unfortunately, freezing sweetened condensed milk isn't a great option as it destabilizes its structure.

Some benefits of proper food storage include eating healthier, cutting food costs and helping the environment by avoiding waste.

How to use extra before your Condensed Milk goes bad?

What if there was a great sale on sweetened condensed milk and then you forgot about it in the back of your pantry? You don't want it to spoil and go to waste, so put it to waist! Here's a simple suggestion to use up your sweetened condensed milk:

How long is Condensed Milk good for when prepared in a dish?

How long does sweetened condensed milk last? That depends. How long does chocolate last? In general, sweetened condensed milk lasts only as long as the quickest expiring ingredient in the recipe.

What are our shelf life resources?

In determining how long Condensed Milk lasts, our content incorporates research from multiple resources, including the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Food & Drug Administration. In addition, we scoured the web for informative articles and reports related to food safety, food storage and the shelf life of Condensed Milk.

*An important note about expiration dates...

Although the Condensed Milk shelf life information on Eat By Date is generally reliable, please remember that individual cases will vary and that our advice should only be taken as an opinion and not a replacement for your health care professional. Please eat responsibly!