How to Tell If Baby Food Has Gone Bad

With jarred baby food, the clearest sign of spoilage is the safety button in the middle of the lid. On a good jar that button sits pressed down; if the button on an unopened jar is raised, or the lid does not make the expected pop sound when opened, air may have entered and the food should not be fed to the baby. What should you check on an unopened jar? A jar with a bulging, leaking, or cracked lid isn't safe even before its date — those signs can mean gas from bacterial growth inside. The food itself should look uniform and smooth; if it's separated into layers, foamy, or oddly darker than expected, the jar should be tossed unopened. For powdered formula, moisture is the biggest risk; powder that should pour freely but instead clumps up when stirred with a spoon means moisture has gotten into the container, and it shouldn't be used. How should you track time and smell after opening? An opened jar of baby food should generally be used within 24 to 48 hours, even in the fridge — the exact window depends on the label, but it should never stretch past a couple of days. Food fed straight from the jar with a spoon spoils even faster, since enzymes from the baby's mouth get mixed back in. The expected smell is whatever mild, natural aroma matches the ingredients; a sour, sharp, or metallic smell means the food is no longer safe. If the color has turned noticeably darker or gray, toss it even before the smell becomes obvious. If the lid doesn't give the expected soft pop when opened, do not give the food to the baby, even if the safety button looked fine — throw it away; a normal smell or appearance does not make the jar safe. An opened jar should never sit out at room temperature; get it into the fridge right away, since even a few minutes' delay can be enough for bacteria to start multiplying. Are homemade baby purees any different? Homemade vegetable or fruit purées have no preservatives, so they're far shorter-lived than jarred food; they should be used within 48 hours in the fridge, counting the day they were made, or within a month in the freezer. Purée frozen in cubes should only be thawed as needed, and any leftover thawed portion shouldn't be refrozen. Feeding straight from the jar with the baby's spoon mixes saliva enzymes back into the remaining food; so for a jar meant to cover more than one feeding, spooning out a separate portion first both extends the jar's life and lowers the risk of contamination. For powdered formula, the usual window after opening is about three to four weeks; the lid should be sealed tightly after every use and kept somewhere cool and dry. A damp scoop or a lid that doesn't close all the way can shorten that window considerably. Risk tolerance for baby food is much lower than for adults, so a jar that looks off or an opening date you can't pin down should go straight in the trash without a taste test.