Can You Drink Expired Energy Drink Powders? (Must know)
When you’re at a store, you might notice that the products come with expiration dates on their back, depending on the packaging. This is written as ‘EXP’ right below the MFG date that is an abbreviation for ‘Manufacturing Date’.
This is due to the law requirements that need to provide the consumer’s information to know when the product was developed and when it’s going to expire and so they don’t end up using the expired products which can be harmful.
Are energy drinks part of this talk of expirations and can you still drink them?
Yes to both statements! Ready-to-drink energy drinks usually expire in 6-9 months, so if you have them stocked this is bad news for you. But in certain conditions, you can still consume them.
This can sound suspicious but don’t you worry, I got your back! Here, we’re diving into details about consuming expired energy drinks powders, their ingredients, their storage possibility, adverse effects, and suitable powder energy drinks. Read on!
Contents
Ingredients in Powdered Energy Drinks
Before we get to the nitty-gritty details, we have to look over its components first.
Energy drinks are all about boosting mechanisms for focus, energy, and concentration. There are certain ingredients in powder energy drinks that make them special such as caffeine, sugar, vitamins, and nootropics.
These ingredients play an important role and make an energy drink what it is. Let’s check them out one by one.
Caffeine in Energy Drinks
Caffeine is normally found in tea leaves, cocoa, and coffee. It is a natural stimulant of the brain and central nervous system and a key ingredient of energy drinks.
Caffeine works by blocking off adenosine that suppresses feelings of fatigue and gives you a boost to last through your task. With caffeine, the only thing you should keep a tab on is your daily consumption.
According to the FDA ,a healthy adult can consume no more than 400g of caffeine per day.
A caffeine boost normally lasts around 2-3 hours depending upon your body’s reception. Keeping the consumption in mind, you mustn’t overdose on caffeine as it can lead to harmful side effects:
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Addiction
- Muscle breakdown
- High blood pressure
- Fatigue
Similarly, every individual has different tolerances to caffeine hence varying caffeine contents can have different effects on your body so it’s best to be alert of your bodily response to anything caffeine.
In extension, overdosing can cause severe caffeine withdrawals. What I found to be working for me is a caffeine content between 100g to 200mg of caffeine per serving because my body is used to this amount.
This can be different for you and so you should keep a close eye on its effects and adjust accordingly.
Sugar in Energy Drinks
Sugar is often included in energy drinks as it provides a boost of energy. However, on the flip side, it can also lead to a sugar crash or health complications such as high blood pressure or worse, diabetes.
According to the AHA, the recommended daily dose limits of sugar are;
| Men | 37.5g |
| Women | 25g |
| Children | 19g |
There are varying limits as there is varying reception for sugar in the body.
As you can see, these are relatively low amounts of sugar per day and yet there is a lot of food and drinks with significantly higher sugar contents. With that, I encourage you to look out for your consumption of sugar to avoid any sugar-induced health complications.
Vitamins in Energy Drinks
Vitamins are essential nutrients for a human being as it supplicates with a lot of beneficial bodily functions that could range from cognitive to metabolic.
These often include:
- Thiamine
- Riboflavin
- Inositol
- Niacin
- Biotin
- Pyridoxine hydrochloride
- Cyanocobalamin
Energy drinks contain these vitamins in small amounts which help in supporting the immune system and nourishing the skin amongst other things.
When choosing an energy drink, you must keep these inclusions in mind. It’s important to select a drink that’s not only boosting but keeps in mind the overall function of your body.
Check out this video to know more about how vitamins work in the body:
How long do powdered energy drinks last?
According to the USDA, most shelf-stable products can last around 1 or 2 years and are safe indefinitely. It’s likely that powdered energy drinks are normally stored at room temperature and are labeled as shelf-stable products. This means that they can last stored this way without going bad.
Generally, the main ingredients in energy drinks such as caffeine last for 4 years, sugar for 2 years, and taurine and the other vitamins don’t usually expire.
However, there are some people who have consumed cans of energy drinks 8 years past the expiry date and they seem to be fine although I do not encourage this as reactions can vary depending on the person.
Overall, when stored in ideal conditions, powder energy drinks can last beyond their expiration date and are usually fine for consumption.
What happens if you drink an expired energy drink?
Consuming expired drinks can expose your body to harmful bacteria that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and fever.
Expired food contains a dangerous amount of harmful bacteria such as E.coli and Bacteroides.
Consuming drinks past the expiration can also expose you to the risk of contracting food poisoning which can result in potential abdominal pain. If consumed in large amounts you might even need to be hospitalized.
However, this varies depending on the condition of the drink. For powders, look out for any clumpiness, foul odor, or tears in packaging that could suggest a creature has contaminated it. Consumption of a drink in these conditions should be avoided.
In some cases, when stored properly, there are no changes at all besides the drink losing any of its nutritional value. You can still consume these with a lesser likelihood of any negative effects but it’ll ultimately defeat the purpose of the drink which is its effects.
As for the preservatives, they also expire but natural preservatives tend to extend shelf life longer than ordinary so it’ll be a good idea to skim over the ingredients list of any expired drink you’re looking to try.
Is it dangerous to drink expired energy drink powders?
Yes, it can be dangerous. Like I’ve mentioned, there is always the possibility of food poisoning especially for drinks that are no longer in good condition upon consumption.
In some instances, when the product has been stored properly, consuming it is unlikely to cause any harm but it’s also unlikely to do any good in terms of its promised effects as it loses its potency when expired.
It’s never usually encouraged nor suggested to consume expired drinks especially if they look visually questionable. However, you could do away with some drinks that look pristine in quality, one that’s unopened or unused, and smells and looks the way it did before its expiration. These are usually good signs that the preservatives in the formula helped maintain the quality of the drink.
What are the best storage conditions for a powdered energy drink?
Powdered energy drinks usually come in an array of packages and their optimal storage methods vary because of it. Often, they’ve included in the labels the best way to store each product.
Manufacturers suggest you store these drinks in a refrigerator but that’s not always the case. You can also store these powdered energy drink sachets in a cool and dark area. This way they won’t be exposed to direct heat and sunlight which can possibly melt the ingredients inside the sachets or tubes.
If you store these powdered energy drinks in such sound conditions, they will likely stay in good taste for about a year or two depending upon their manufacturing date.
I suggest you keep a tab on your expiry date as that can save you from adverse effects such as vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and food poisoning.
Can you drink expired energy drink powders?
Yes, but cautiously. You can definitely drink energy drink powders if they are unopened and placed in the right conditions which are dry and cool places, preferably away from any source of heat.
Other conditions might include whether the sachets have been damaged or there is no seal on the tubes. You can always check if it’s in powder form or clumped while it’s still in the sachet. These are good indicators for trying them or not.
If once you’ve made the drink and there’s no fizz, or there’s an unusual smell or even discoloration when mixed with water, then the drink has probably gone through heat exposure or some damaging elements. It has most likely changed the composition and can be dangerous when consumed.
Difference between Expiry date vs Best Before
Let’s dive further to know the exact difference between expiry dates and best before dates. Here’s what you should know;
The expiry date tells us that the active ingredients have lost their potency and that the consumption of this product is then possibly harmful and can lead to dangerous health circumstances.
This goes with discoloration, the foul odor, and clumpiness as I’ve mentioned due to exposure to heat. The expiration date notifies us about the product losing its effect, health-wise or as per energy drink powders, in terms of their boosting effects, as the formula begins its decline.
This is not the case for Best Before dates. The best before dates are a kind of suggestion from the manufacturer itself. The FDA defines this label as a hint on when the product is best for consumption, quality-wise but not safety-wise.
This means that the best before date signifies the product at its top quality, in its optimum state where its taste, appearance, and overall effect will be at an all-time high.
It’s important to note that this information can only be applied to unopened products and not already opened sachets. This means the best before date can be utilized as long as you want.
What are good powder energy drinks to try?
Now that you’re fit to scrutinize energy drink powders in their best and worst conditions, it’s time to look into some good choices for energy drinks.
Here are some powdered energy drinks that you can choose from depending upon your preferences of caffeine intake, sugar content, vitamins, carbohydrates, calories, and price.
Powdered energy drinks are convenient to carry around they are affordable and have a good amount of caffeine for your boosting mechanism, varying greatly from 100 mg up to 175 mg.
In their best condition, they can be both boosting in energy and focus. They’re often available in a plethora of flavor choices that you’ll likely never run out of which to choose from.
Additionally, you can mix these powdered energy drinks with any of your favorite drinks such as juices, water is not always the default. They come available in tubs or sachets and are easily accessible by online purchase through many websites such as Amazon, eBay, or Walmart.
Summary
Yes, you can still drink powder energy drinks but sparingly and with great caution.
Powder energy Drinks can go bad, as well as the preservatives in them that are helping maintain their quality. This makes it dangerous to consume them, exposing you to possible food poisoning and other bacteria.
There are certain conditions that deem an expired drink relatively safe, and there are also clear signs when you should avoid drinking an expired product at all costs.
In looking at products, it’s helpful to know the difference between the expiry date and a best before date so you’ll be able to properly decide before consuming anything expired.
With that, I leave you with good luck on your way and be wary of your consumptions.
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