Of course, all food and drink products will last for a shorter period of time if they are not stored properly. But, like many other products, pudding usually has a best before date which is simply the last date by which a manufacturer will vouch for a product's flavor and quality, not its safety. Because of this distinction, you may safely eat your foods for a time period after the best before or sell by date has expired.

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

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

Although not a perfect test, your senses are usually the most reliable instruments to tell if your packaged pudding has expired and gone bad. The first sign of caution in prepared pudding is when you see pockets of watery liquid (the liquid has separated from the other ingredients) and the sweet taste is replaced with a sharp, bitter flavor. You can tell if it has gone bad if you see bright bacterial marks or dark mold on its surface. Dry pudding mix is still good if it has remained dry, been stored properly and is within the eat by date.

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 Pudding to extend its shelf life?

For the packaged and dry mix pudding, it should be stored in a cool dry environment not susceptible to temperature change. When items go through temperature changes of cool to warm and vice versa, the moisture in the air tends to condensate inside the packages. This moisture allows mold to grow and your pudding to spoil. Thus, while a refrigerator is recommended for packaged prepared pudding, it is not required... if you bought the prepared pudding in the refrigerator section, it should be kept in the refrigerator but if you bought it on the shelf, then it can remain on the shelf. Both varieties should be refrigerated upon opening.

Freezing pudding is not recommended since it changes the consistency and the thawed food will be watery and undesirable.

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

Interesting facts about Pudding:

How to use extra before your Pudding goes bad?

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

How long does pudding last? That depends. How long does milk last? In general, pudding lasts only as long as the quickest expiring ingredient it is mixed with.

What are our shelf life resources?

In determining how long Pudding 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 Pudding.

*An important note about expiration dates...

Although the Pudding 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!