Of course, foods last for a shorter period of time if they are not stored properly. Like a lot of other grains, it usually has a best before date and not a use by date. Because of this distinction, you may safely use it even after the best before date has lapsed.

How to tell if Cereal is bad, rotten or spoiled?

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

Since cereal grains have been dried, removing all the water, there is not much that can go bad with them unless you live in a very humid climate which could put some water back into the cereal and cause the cereal to go bad. Your senses of touch and hearing are the best ones to see if cereal has gone bad. If you try to break a flake of cereal and there is no crackling sound, then the cereal has probably gone bad - or more specifically the cereal is stale and has lost its crunch. It would still be OK to use for baking, but not very tasty to eat.

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 Cereal to extend its shelf life?

You can help cereal stay fresh by storing it in a cool, dry, and dark place. The original box works great as long you tightly roll over the packaging or better yet use a clip to seal the opening. Once prepared, cereals like oatmeal and cream of wheat that have been cooked should be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container to keep out moisture and other contaminants.

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

How long is Cereal good for when prepared in a dish?

How long does cereal last? That depends. How long does milk last? In general, foods last only as long as the quickest expiring ingredient in the dish that it is prepared. Although, once you pour that milk into your cereal you basically have about 10 minutes to finish the bowl to enjoy the cereal at it's best.

What are our shelf life resources?

In determining how long Cereal 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 Cereal.

*An important note about expiration dates...

Although the Cereal 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!