The One Thing You're Not Doing With Your Yogurt Containers (But Should)

When you buy a tub of yogurt from the store, the kind that holds multiple servings of vanilla-flavored skyr or plain Greek, you inevitably encounter a peel-off plastic or foil seal beneath the actual lid. To get to the good stuff, you have to tear away the seal—but some people leave it half-attached to the container, believing it helps keep yogurt fresh.

Leaving that seal on the yogurt container is a surprisingly divisive topic. I prefer to peel it completely away, if only so I can scrape out every last bit of yogurt, so I was surprised to learn how many people keep the lid on. One friend shared that she keeps the foil as intact as possible because she believes that it helps keep the “refrigerator smell” out of her breakfast, which makes sense: Nobody wants to taste last night’s spaghetti in their bowl of yogurt and berries.

Does the seal really save your yogurt from smells, germs, or other contaminants that might be lurking in your refrigerator? Or is it doing more harm than good?

Why Your Yogurt Has a Seal 

The seal on your tub of yogurt is mostly there for practical reasons—once it’s packed into the container, the foil or plastic keeps the yogurt from sloshing out of the container in transit to the grocery store. You’ve probably noticed that the plastic lids on many yogurt brands are flimsy, so the seal is the first line of defense against a disastrous yogurt spill.

When the seal is applied, it creates an airtight environment for the yogurt, which helps prolong its shelf life and prevent spoilage. “An airtight environment prevents moisture loss, introduction of undesirable microorganisms, oxidation, and loss of flavors,” says Dr. Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, director of the University of Georgia’s Food Safety Center. Once you rip open that container, though, the airtight seal is broken, and the foil’s ability to protect yogurt from bacterial contamination is compromised.

Should You Take the Seal off Yogurt Tubs?

The safest bet is to totally remove the foil or plastic seal once you’ve opened a multi-serving tub of yogurt. In fact, leaving the seal on might actually make your yogurt spoil faster because the bits left behind on the lid are exposed to bacteria and spores in the air every time you open the container.

“Once the seal has been opened, it offers no benefit to the product,” Diez-Gonzalez says. “Depending on the frequency of subsequent openings, if left unremoved, it can become a source of contamination.”

Assuming it’s not cracked or otherwise damaged, the plastic lid that comes on the tub is all the protection your yogurt needs in the refrigerator. And let’s face it, that foil seal with random smears of yogurt dangling over your breakfast just isn’t appetizing—go ahead and throw it away, and rest assured that your vanilla yogurt will be safe without it.