How long will refrigerated, unopened cottage cheese remain good to eat?

Until quite recently, commercial cottage cheese had a shelf life of up to 21 days, but new technologies have extended that refrigerator shelf life to as much as 45-60 days and in some cases as much as 90 days, according to Cornell University researchers. Good manufacturing processes, injection of antibacterial CO2 into the cream dressing that manufacturers add to cottage cheese curds, use of antimicrobial agents, and gas-impermeable packaging inhibit bacteria growth and guards against rancidity by displacing oxygen. Traditionally-processed cheeses may still have a shelf life of about 3 weeks.
 
Source(s):
Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: CO2 “Pasteurized” Cottage Cheese

Dr. Rani Govindasamy-Lucey – senior scientist, Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, University of Wisconsin