How to Tell When Soy Milk Goes Bad

Many people enjoy soy milk as an alternative to regular milk. While some consume soy milk because they cannot consume regular milk due to a health condition, others choose to drink soy milk because they prefer the taste or believe it to be healthier than regular milk. Soy milk may have certain advantages over regular milk, but, like regular milk, it eventually goes bad. If you've just switched to soy milk or seldom drink it, you may not have encountered soy milk that has gone bad. Spoiled soy milk is easy to recognize, as many of the signs that it has gone bad are similar to those indicating that regular milk has spoiled.

Instructions

• 1

  Check the expiration date on the milk carton. Soy milk can typically last a year from the date of manufacture if it not opened, and manufacturers print this date on the carton. Check to see if the expiration date has passed, and throw the milk away if it has. Although the milk may not be obviously spoiled, drinking it once the expiration date has passed is risky.

• 2

  Consider how long it has been since the carton was opened. Different varieties of soy milk spoil at different rates after being opened, but they typically last seven to 10 days in the fridge before losing flavor and going bad. If your carton has been in the fridge for more than 10 days, it has likely gone bad and should be thrown away. If your carton has been opened and has been sitting outside the fridge for more than 24 hours, it should also be thrown away.

• 3

  Check to see if the carton is punctured. A punctured carton allows germs to enter and spoil the milk. Throw the milk away if the carton is punctured.

• 4

  Apply pressure to the carton to see if it feels bloated. A bloated carton means that germs have entered the carton and begun consuming the milk. These germs release the gases which cause the carton to feel bloated.

• 5

  Smell the milk. If germs have begun consuming the milk, they will release gases with a distinct odor. If your soy milk has an unusual smell, it has likely gone bad.

• 6

  Pour the milk into a bowl and see if it pours out smoothly. As with regular milk, a lumpy texture indicates that the milk has spoiled.

• 7

  Taste the soy milk. If it tastes different than it normally does, throw it away and start a new carton of milk.