Do probiotics expire?
A. Absolutely! If you are getting your active bacteria from a yogurt or kefir product, generally speaking, the fresher the better, since they provide only very small amounts of the bacteria you need, anyway. The product may not be harmful after its expiration date, since the lactic acid produced as it sits in your refrigerator keeps toxic bacteria in check. But a yogurt not likely to do you much good as a probiotic after its expiration date. And if the product has a shelf-life of 3 months, it’s been heat-treated, so it didn’t have any probiotic content in the first place! Encapsulated probiotics, aside from being the only alternative for people who choose vegan diets (and if you are a dedicated vegan, you might want to be sure you get a vegan capsule, too, such as Jarro-Dophilus), last much longer than yogurts. These, too, however, eventually expire, and they provide more active bacteria if the product has been stored in the dark and at temperatures below 20-25 degrees C (68-77 degrees
