Out of Date Coca-Cola

[helpme!]

Will drinking out of date coke make you ill? I have a can on my desk with the best before date Jan 2005. I had a can from the same machine yesterday (i didn't check the best before date) and was feeling poorly in the afternoon. Do you think it was the Coke? I will await your replies before I drink this can!

[beerbelly]

just drink it and see .....you know you want to ......
then tell us tomorrow if your o.k
hope this helps .

[Buenchico]

'Best Before ' dates are used on products which, while the quality may degrade with time, do not present any hazards to health. (Where there is a risk to health after the specified date, the designation 'Use By' must be used). So you've got nothing to worry about with your old cans of Coke.

Manufacturers usually allow plenty of leeway when specifying dates. While products like chocolates might start to show changes to taste/colour/texture about a month or two after the date shown, canned products last much, much longer. From time to time researchers open old cans of corned beed left over from World War II. They usually report that it's perfectly edible!

From my own experience, I would suggest that carbonated drinks won't show any signs of deterioration for at least a year after the date shown. Beyond this, they might seem a bit flat and lifeless. (For some reason, old cans of carbonated drink sometimes open as if they've just been shaken (i.e. there's a small spurt of liquid) but the rest of the product is fairly flat. I assume it's simply because the CO2 has separated from the liquid).

Last point about 'Best Before' dates: About a fortnight ago I reached into the fridge for a beer only to realise that I'd forgotten to call at the supermarket. I then spotted one can of lager (dated 2002) and one bottle of lager (dated 2001) right at the back of the fridge. Both tasted great!.

Chris

[normyc]

Buenchico  that must be a huge fridge to have 2 beers in it that are 4 years out of date... mine barely last until the end of the week!!!!

[brachiopod]

Don't drink it !!!
It turned instantly poisonous at 23:59 hrs on the 31st of January 2005.

 

 

Not really - it will probably be another year before you could taste any difference - and that would probably be just a slightly flat taste. It wouldn't present any real health hazard. Buenchio is spot-on with his answer.

[beerbelly]

as long as you drink your coke and dont snort it you should be alright

[chazza]

Generally anything sealed in tins or cans won't go off for a long long time as there is nothing in contact with it to cause a reaction

[snapdharlich]

It's so full of sugar. I doubt very much that it caused the problem. Manufacturers of products like that tend to be very conservative with their BB dates. After all - if they dated them to their maximum shelf date - they would probably be years in front. You want to keep people buying your products. Don't date them too long. 

[snapdharlich]

But .... and please don't take offence, but a can of coke maybe costs 65p at the very most. If you were ill and you are doubting the next can you drink. Would you really take a chance? 65p or your health - It's really a no brainer. Ditch the can! NOW!

[helpme!]

I'VE DRUNK IT!!!!

......and i'm still alive and not feeling ill. 

Thanks for the advise!  in future i will use the other drinks machine!

[beerbelly]

oh i do love a happy ending .....