Wheat germ -- still can't figure out how long it keeps in the fridge

I purchased vacuum-packed wheat germ (the one that says guaranteed fresh until 4/2010). It stayed in my pantry a few months, then I opened it and refrigerated immediately. (Tried toasting it but it was too much of a pain.)
The package only says that it must be refrigerated, not for how long or what container it should be in (I put it in an extra ziploc bag).

So I'm not sure whether I can give it to DD or not. Internet searches did not bring up many reliable sources -- and the answers ran the gamut from "it only keeps a few days, and it should be refrigerated immediately after you bring it home from the store, even sealed" to "you can keep it in the fridge for weeks." Any thoughts?

I've used mine for months.

We used to have ours in the fridge for months as well and it never killed us ... one of my favorite sandwiches growing up was peanut butter, honey and wheat germ on homemade bread!

If you give it a sniff and it smells like it's gone bad rather than nutty (should smell slightly nutty) chuck it. The oils in wheat germ are kind of like flax seed oil, but not as subject to fast spoilage.

I've had mine in the freezer going on 2 years now. Still fine.

Beth

So you think in the fridge, in a ziploc bag, it's OK?

Also, if you do freeze it -- do you do anything to defrost and/or warm it? or just sprinkle it as is?

Mmmm... peanut butter and wheat germ. So hungry now, and I still have another hour of work left...

Yup. In the fridge in the glass container in a Ziploc is fine.

We didn't always go through it so quickly, so it tended to sit for a while. Especially if we went through a no wheat germ phase. (Like I did after I was teased at school for eating it. Stupid 1st graders.)

Again, if it smells rancid when you open it, chuck it!

Ours stayed good in the fridge for well over a year. It takes a LONG time to use a whole jar! We finally threw it out when we moved but it was still good.

Well, :bag, I have been using mine in the pantry for 2 years. I learned something today that it has to go in the fridge. Oops.