this post was submitted on 13 Sep 2024
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I have various flavors like Hawaiian punch and root beer as the powder you put in your water to make it taste better and it says they were best by last year (2023). Is it safe to use them? I've never even opened the boxes they came in.

They're sugar free for anyone wondering

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[โ€“] [email protected] 7 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

"Best by" often means "will lose taste over time and taste worse by" when it comes to chemical products like these.

If this stuff contains lots of sugar or no natural compounds at all, give it a try, I guess. Especially if they're sealed in a box. Trust your senses, don't try too much at once if you don't know if it's still good, and don't swallow until you've verified there's no taste of rot or other grossness. If you want more safety, have a bottle of vodka ready to rinse your mouth with in case you do notice a bad taste.

If these powders are completely dry and stored airtight (and the packaging isn't damaged), you could probably store them for literal decades without a problem. If there's stored in uncoated cardboard (no sealing lining), maybe treat them as mold infested, even before their expiration date. The way they're stored makes all the difference.