KeepsUntilSearchMy fridgeDairy Products & Eggs · USDA FoodKeeper

How long does Cottage cheese last in the fridge once opened?

Once opened · in the fridge
Use by1 week
Counted from the day you opened it
USDA FoodKeeper figure · as published
How this date is worked out
From KeepsUntilIt is past the dateThe FDA and USDA FSIS rules, and where to ask when a date runs outWhere these numbers come fromThe USDA source, the parse rules and what this site cannot tell youEvery food on the siteOne page, every product, longest first

Turning the range into a date

Cottage cheese keeps 1 week in the fridge once opened. Enter a day and each row becomes a calendar date, worked out in your browser.

  • From purchase · in the fridgeUse by2 weeks after the day you bought it
  • Once opened · in the fridgeUse by1 week after the day you opened it
From purchase · in the fridge
2 weeks
Counted from the day you bought it

Every storage figure the USDA publishes for this item

USDA FoodKeeper files Cottage cheese under Dairy Products & Eggs.

  • In the freezernot recommended
  • From purchase · in the fridge2 weeks
  • Once opened · in the fridge1 week

Common searches, answered from this table

Can you freeze cottage cheese?

  • In the freezernot recommended
From KeepsUntilWhere these numbers come fromThe USDA source, the parse rules and what this site cannot tell you

What USDA FSIS and the FDA say about this food

For: Cottage cheese

FOODHANDLINGREASON

Soft cheese

(such as cottage, cream cheese, Neufchatel, chevre, Bel Paese, etc.) Crumbled, shredded, and sliced cheeses (all types)DiscardFoods with high moisture content can be contaminated below the surface. Shredded, sliced, or crumbled cheese can be contaminated by the cutting instrument. Moldy soft cheese can also have bacteria growing along with the mold.

USDA FSIS, Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous?, retrieved 4 November 2026. Quoted word for word.

Other foods on the same USDA shelf

Food safety rules that apply to every food

  • Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C). The freezer temperature should be 0° F (-18° C).
  • Never allow meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or produce or other foods that require refrigeration to sit at room temperature for more than two hours—one hour if the air temperature is above 90° F.
  • Though food will be safe indefinitely at 0° F, quality will decrease the longer the food is in the freezer.
  • Never thaw food at room temperature, such as on the counter top. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately.
  • Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter, or in hot water and must not be left at room temperature for more than two hours.
  • If you're not sure or if the food looks questionable, throw it out.

Sources: FDA: are you storing food safely · FDA: safe food handling · USDA FSIS: safe defrosting.

Where these numbers come from

Every figure and note on this page is reproduced from USDA FoodKeeper as published; the calendar date is the only arithmetic, and it runs in your browser.

Source: USDA FoodKeeper, retrieved 1 September 2026. A figure that does not match the source? Tell us. How the site is built.

USDA index terms: cheese

KeepsUntil is an independent reference built on public USDA data. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Food and Drug Administration. Storage times are reproduced from USDA FoodKeeper as published; when in doubt, follow the FDA and USDA FSIS guidance linked on every food page.

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