In this brief guide, we’ll address the search query: “Can you get sick from eating expired sour cream?” Also, we’ll explore how long sour cream can be stored, how to best store sour cream, what the nutritional content of sour cream is, and how to tell if sour cream has spoiled.
Can you get sick from eating expired sour cream?
Yes, it is possible for you to become sick from eating expired sour cream. This is because the sour cream may be contaminated with microbes that can cause food poisoning, and symptoms may vary between individuals, and consumed portions.
Food poisoning symptoms may include abdominal aches, fever, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, muscle aches, headaches, and low blood pressure, in cases with severe dehydration.
Severe symptoms may require hospitalization to address dehydration with intravenous fluids, and a prescription of antibiotics to treat infections.
We encourage our readers to thoroughly inspect their dairy products and be mindful of both the expiration dates and the state of their food.
If their sour cream shows signs of spoilage, it should be immediately discarded, by means such as flushing it down the sink drain or throwing it in the trash.
How long can I store sour cream?
Sour cream can allegedly be stored for up to 21 days past the sell-by date, which means that readers can store it for roughly three weeks in refrigeration before its quality begins to decline.
The expiration date printed on the packaging is also a good estimate of when the sour cream will have reached its peak freshness, and may no longer have the quality the manufacturer guaranteed.
It’s important for our readers to maintain sour cream in proper storage, as poor handling practices can reduce both quality and its shelf-life.
Freezing may be feasible, though sour creams may separate into phases once they’ve thawed out, and for recipes where the cream is used as a topping or a garnish, this may be contraindicated.
How should I store sour cream?
Ideally, sour cream should be stored in refrigeration, and kept on the shelves that are closest to the cooling sources. Placing them close to the refrigerator door or on one of the door’s shelves can lead to fluctuations in temperature, which may shorten its shelf-life.
Freezing sour cream may be feasible, though subzero temperatures, followed by defrosting, can cause separation into phases, Therefore, freezing is only indicated to those who buy in bulk, and use sour cream in cooking, where separation is not a problem.
Between uses, our readers should always draw sour cream from its container using clean utensils, to avoid contaminating it with microbes on a utensil’s surface.
What is the nutritional content of sour cream?
On average, a tablespoon of sour cream (12 grams) will provide:
- 24 calories – of which 21 are sourced from fat
- 0.3 grams of protein
- 2.3 grams of fat (4% of the RDI) – of which 1,2 grams are saturated fat (6% of the RDI), 0.1 grams are trans fat, 0.1 grams are polyunsaturated fat, and 0.6 grams are monounsaturated fat.
- 0.6 grams of carbohydrates – of which 0.4 grams are sugars
- 7.1 milligrams of cholesterol (2% of the RDI)
- 3.7 milligrams of sodium
- 15 milligrams of potassium
Additionally, the same portion of sour cream may provide 1.1% of the RDI of vitamin A, 0.2% of vitamin C, 0.9% of calcium, and 0.1% of iron.
*Recommended daily intake values are based on a diet of 2000 calories per day. An individual’s exact needs may vary. Therefore, we recommend our readers consult with a licensed nutritionist to ascertain what their exact needs are.
How can I tell if sour cream has spoiled?
Tell-tale signs that indicate sour cream has spoiled include yellowish coloring, a foul, or otherwise questionable smell, and the growth of bacteria, and mold.
As we’ve mentioned above, spoiled sour cream can cause sickness, and may not only be unpleasant to savor but also detrimental to one’s health.
Some individuals may experience symptoms within hours of eating spoiled sour cream and more severe cases may require hospitalization.
Groups that are especially at risk of suffering symptoms of food poisoning include pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and immunocompromised patients.
We encourage our readers to prioritize their health and discard any food product that has visible signs of being of subpar quality.
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we’ve addressed the search query: “Can you get sick from eating expired sour cream?” Also, we’ve explored how long sour cream can be stored, how to best store sour cream, what the nutritional content of sour cream is, and how to tell if sour cream has spoiled.