If you look at products in the store, you will see that they come with expiration dates. Even water has a period limit, after which you should no longer consume it.

The law requires that manufacturers stipulate these dates on their labels. That way, consumers do not end up ingesting products that could harm their health.

The expiry date is a show of how long a product can last on the shelves without going bad.

But can energy drinks expire? Yes, energy drinks can expire. The expiry date can be found anywhere from the side to the bottom of the can. If you come across an energy drink devoid of such details, you should avoid it.

Given that these drinks expire, you may think that refrigeration is a must. The thing is, you do not have to put the drink in the fridge.

Most manufacturers will ask that you do this. However, this has little to do with the going bad of the drink. If anything, it owes to the improvement in taste when you enjoy the drinks when cold.

Storage conditions for energy drinks

If you have an unopened energy drink, how long can it stay fresh? Well, the first thing you should consider is the expiry date, which should guide your drinking decision. Also, you need to think about the storage conditions in which you put the drink.

You see, the expiry date could be months away. However, if you do not adhere to storage conditions, the drink could still go bad.

The best way to store energy drinks is to keep them in a cool and dark area. That way, they do not have exposure to direct sunlight and heat, elements that could make energy drinks go bad.

If you store the drinks in such conditions, energy drinks can stay good for about nine months from the date of production. And by doing so, you will preserve their taste.

Even after this time elapses, the drinks are likely to be in good condition. That allows you to drink them without facing adverse reactions. You should keep the expiry date in mind, though.

Can I drink an expired energy drink?

Can you drink the beverages once the expiry date passes? The answer is yes if the drinks are unopened and have been in the right conditions.

The first thing to consider is the state in which you had kept the energy drink. If it had access to heat and light, the drink has likely gone bad.

The other thing is the state of the bottle holding the drink. If there is any damage to the can, then the drink has probably had exposure to damaging elements.

Expiry date vs. Best before date

Now, here is something you should note with energy drinks. Some come with ‘best before’ dates, which are quite different from the expiry date.

With an expiry date, this means that active ingredients have lost their potency. It can be quite dangerous to consume an expired product, more so when it is a medicine.

The same does not hold for a ‘best before’ date. In this case, you deal with more of a suggestion from the manufacturer. The best before date indicates the period at which the manufacturer thinks that the product might start going bad. It is not exact, and you can thus work your way around it.

You should note that this date applies to unopened products, and not cans that you have already opened. That means that under proper storage conditions, you can push this ‘best before’ date to another time.

Another thing you should note with ‘best before’ dates is that they also indicate quality. While you can still enjoy the energy drinks after this period, some aspects of the beverages will change.

From color to flavor, a lot can vary once this time lapses. However, in most cases, not much changes and provided the conditions are okay, the drinks will be good.

Where the can has dents, leaks or rust it indicates that all is not well. The drink can suffer exposure to elements, thus affecting its quality. Taking such a drink can also be harmful to your health.

If you open a drink and notice a change in smell, flavor or appearance, then you should discard it. It is likely that the drink has changed in composition and could thus be dangerous when consumed.

The dangers of expired energy drinks

What can happen where one ingests expired energy drinks? Well, food poisoning is likely to occur. It could be from contamination resulting from contact with chemicals in the can.

Also, the preservatives may no longer work, thus paving the way for microbial activity.

Conclusion

Energy drinks can go bad. It is thus best that you store them in appropriate conditions and discard of them where necessary. Also, work with the ‘best before’ dates to avoid consuming goods that have gone bad. All the best!