Energy drinks have become incredibly popular over the last two decades, providing an energy boost to help people power through their busy days. With eye-catching packaging and promises of enhanced energy, focus, and performance, it’s no wonder why energy drinks are a multi-billion dollar industry.
But what happens when an energy drink passes its expiration date? Is it still safe to consume, or should it be thrown out? In this article, we’ll explore whether drinking expired energy drinks is safe.
Do Energy Drinks Really Expire?
First, let’s cover whether energy drinks actually expire in the first place. Like most food and beverages, energy drinks do have expiration dates printed on their packaging. This date indicates the last day the manufacturer believes the beverage will be at peak quality and flavor.
So while an energy drink likely won’t make you sick immediately after the printed expiration date, its taste and potency can degrade over time. The expiry date is the manufacturer’s way of guaranteeing consistent quality and experience.
Some common signs that an energy drink is past its prime:
- Change in color – Most energy drinks should be translucent and brightly colored. If an expired drink appears darker or cloudy, it could be oxidized.
- Change in carbonation – Energy drinks tend to be carbonated. If they’ve lost their fizz, the drink may be flat or stale.
- Change in smell – Rancid or unpleasant odors usually mean a drink has spoiled.
- Change in taste – An expired energy drink may taste weak, bitter, or generally “off.”
So while energy drinks don’t have a rigid expiration date, their quality and taste can degrade over time after the printed date. The actual shelf life depends on storage conditions and the specific ingredients.
Do the Active Ingredients Change Over Time?
Aside from taste and texture, the bigger concern with expired energy drinks is whether the active ingredients degrade over time. Let’s take a look at how the key energy boosting ingredients hold up:
Caffeine
Most energy drinks contain high levels of caffeine, usually between 70-200mg per serving. The good news is that caffeine is chemically stable – it does not break down or lose potency easily over time.
Studies have found that canned or bottled caffeine drinks retain almost all (90%+) of their original caffeine content after 15 months in storage. So even an expired energy drink likely contains nearly the same amount of caffeine as when it was fresh.
However, if the can or bottle has been damaged, exposed to oxygen and light, or stored in warmer conditions, more of the caffeine may have degraded.
Sugars
Energy drinks are also loaded with sugar, containing around 25-50 grams per serving from standard sugars like sucrose, glucose, and high fructose corn syrup. The levels may be even higher in some specialty “energy juice” type drinks.
Like caffeine, the sucrose and glucose sugars are relatively stable in energy drinks. Even in expired drinks up to a year old, over 90% of the original sugars remained intact in scientific testing.
High fructose corn syrup may degrade slightly faster, but an expired energy drink would still contain fairly high amounts of the added sugars.
Vitamins
Many energy drinks also contain added vitamins like vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and vitamin C. Unfortunately, vitamins tend to be less stable than caffeine and sugar.
Over time, especially when exposed to heat, air, and light, the vitamin content in energy drinks will slowly degrade. After 6-9 months of storage, 30-90% of the vitamins like vitamin C and B vitamins may be lost from decomposition.
So while expired energy drinks won’t have harmful levels of vitamins, you may not get the full advertised vitamin content if those drinks are many months past the expiration date.
Amino Acids
Some energy drinks also include amino acids like taurine, L-carnitine, and L-glutamine. Like vitamins, amino acids also slowly break down over time with heat and exposure.
Taurine tends to be one of the more stable ingredients, retaining over 90% of its content in testing even after 1 year in storage. However, drinks containing l-carnitine or l-glutamine that are more than 6 months expired will have lower amino acid levels.
The amino acid content won’t be harmful, but like with the added vitamins, you may not get the full performance-enhancing doses advertised on the can.
Are There Health Risks to Expired Energy Drinks?
Now that we’ve looked at how the ingredients hold up over time, what are the health implications of drinking an expired energy drink? Here are the key considerations:
Foodborne Illness
One concern is foodborne illness or contamination from bacteria, yeasts, and molds. While fresh, unopened energy drinks have a very low risk for pathogens, the risk increases as drinks expire.
Some bacteria that could grow in degraded drinks include Lactobacillus, Bacillus, and certain strains of coliforms. Yeasts and molds may also develop, especially if air and moisture entered the packaging.
Illness is much more likely if the drink shows obvious signs of spoilage like changes in taste, smell, appearance, or carbonation. Still, even expired but normal tasting drinks could pose a small foodborne illness risk.
Toxicity
Another worry is toxicity from the decomposition of ingredients in outdated energy drinks. However, research has not found dangerous levels of byproducts like nitrites, aldehydes, or furanic compounds even in severely aged drinks.
While toxicity is unlikely at normal food storage temperatures, extremely deteriorated or fermented drinks that taste or smell abnormal should be avoided.
Caffeine Sensitivity
Although caffeine levels remain high in expired energy drinks, some people do report increased sensitivity to caffeine as drinks age.
This may be due to changing acidity levels or a harsher, more bitter taste that makes the caffeine seem stronger. Individuals very sensitive to caffeine may want to exercise more caution with old energy drinks.
Loss of Intended Benefits
Lastly, the main risk with out of date energy drinks is simply that you may not receive the full intended benefits—the advertised energy boost, vitamins, amino acids, or other performance enhancers.
As we covered earlier, the amounts of vitamins, amino acids, and other “special ingredients” degrade over the months after expiration. The drinks won’t hurt you, but they also may not give you the functional boost you expect.
How Long Do Unopened Energy Drinks Last?
Now that we’ve covered the potential risks, how long do energy drinks actually stay fresh and safe to drink? Here are some general guidelines on shelf life:
Unopened Cans or Bottles
Properly stored, unopened energy drinks typically stay safe and retain their full potency for:
- 2-3 months past the printed expiration date if refrigerated
- 1-2 months past the printed expiration date if stored at room temperature
Drinks may retain adequate taste for up to 9 months past expiration if the cans remain intact and aren’t exposed to heat or sunlight. However, vitamin content will deplete rapidly.
Opened Cans or Bottles
Once opened, energy drinks have a much shorter shelf life of:
- 24 hours if refrigerated
- 12 hours if left at room temperature
Leaving opened cans or bottles out for longer than 12 hours risks rapid degradation in taste and ingredient content. Mold growth may also occur.
Factors Affecting Shelf Life
Storage conditions make a big difference in how long energy drinks stay fresh and potent:
- Cooler temperatures prolong shelf life. Store drinks at or under 70°F if possible.
- Avoid storage in direct sunlight or heat, which speeds vitamin breakdown.
- Minimize exposure to oxygen and moisture whenever opening to extend the shelf life.
- Never consume drinks stored above 90°F for over a month.
With proper storage and handling, unopened energy drinks can stay safe and retain their benefits for a reasonable time beyond the printed expiration date.
How to Tell if Your Energy Drink is Spoiled
We’ve covered how long energy drinks can last, but how do you know when one has actually spoiled and become unsafe?
Here are signs that indicate your energy drink is past its prime and best discarded:
- Appearance: Cloudy, faded liquid. Particles, film, or sediment. Separation in ingredients.
- Smell: Rancid, sour, or unpleasant odors.
- Taste: Weak, extremely bitter/acidic, or strange aftertaste.
- Texture: Flat or completely lost carbonation.
- Containers: Rusted, bulging, or deeply dented cans or bottles.
- Length of Time: Stored over 6 months past expiration.
Trust your senses – if anything seems “off” about the look, smell, or taste, err on the side of caution and discard the energy drink.
Can Expired Drinks Make You Sick?
Drinking an expired energy drink comes with mild risks, mainly:
- Foodborne illness – Small risk from bacteria, yeasts, molds
- Toxicity – Very low risk of byproducts from ingredient degradation
- Caffeine sensitivity – Some people report more side effects
- Loss of benefits – Lower amounts of vitamins, amino acids, etc.
Illness is unlikely if drinks have been stored properly and there are no signs of spoilage. Still, side effects like nausea, cramping, or headaches are possible from degraded ingredients.
Severe sickness is very rare unless the drink was left in excessive heat or shows external damage. But if vomiting, diarrhea, fever, or other serious symptoms occur, seek medical help.
Should You Drink Expired Energy Drinks?
Drinking an energy drink a few weeks or months past its expiration date in normal storage conditions is generally safe, though potency may be slightly diminished.
However, energy drinks more than 6-9 months expired, or any drinks that show external damage or signs of spoilage, should be discarded. At that point, the risk of foodborne illness or side effects increases.
Here are some best practices regarding expired energy drinks:
- Store all energy drinks in cool, dry conditions away from heat and sunlight.
- Consume drinks within 2-3 months of the printed expiration date for optimal freshness and benefits.
- Inspect drinks before consuming – discard any with changes in odor, appearance, or texture.
- Avoid drinking from damaged containers that could allow microbial growth.
- Refrigerate promptly after opening and consume within 24 hours.
- Don’t drink any energy drinks more than 6 months expired, even if unopened.
Ultimately, you’ll need to examine each expired drink individually. But following proper storage and hygiene practices will minimize any risks from degradation.
The Bottom Line
While energy drinks don’t necessarily “go bad” immediately after their expiration date, their taste, potency, and safety can deteriorate over time. Drinks up to 2-3 months expired are likely still safe if properly stored, but may have lower vitamin content.
Consuming expired energy drinks over 6 months old, especially if stored in heat or direct light, is not recommended. At that point, the risk of foodborne illness and unwanted side effects increases.
Your best bet is to follow the manufacturer’s expiration date, refrigerate after opening, and inspect drinks for any signs of spoilage before consuming. Properly stored energy drinks can remain fresh and safe for a reasonable time past the printed date.