Vitamin Water is a great drink to quench your thirst and enjoy on a hot summer day. You might have an old one lying around and be wondering if it’s still safe to consume.
Does Vitamin Water expire? Vitamin Water does expire, and the speed in which is does so mostly depends on how it’s stored. Vitamin Water usually lasts about 6 to 9 months. When it expires, the water basically just loses its flavor and tastes duller, which makes it less enjoyable to drink.
Let’s learn more about how to tell if your Vitamin Water has gone bad, as well as how to store it so that it stays fresh for as long as possible.
How Long Does Vitamin Water Last?
Unopened Vitamin Water tends to last about 6 to 9 months before it starts to lose its quality. Once you open it, it will last about 3-5 days as long as you store it correctly. Vitamin Water doesn’t really spoil after this amount of time, but it will start to taste less flavorful and you will be able to tell that it’s old.
Though there are expiration or “best by” dates on the packaging, Vitamin Water is almost always completely safe to drink once this date has passed. This date is just the manufacturer’s estimate on when the drink will start losing its flavor, but it won’t actually spoil at this point.
Like any other food or drink, the way that you store your Vitamin Water also has a lot to do with how long it lasts. Keeping it in the proper conditions will make it stay better for a lot longer, and you will be a lot more likely to be able to enjoy it before it goes bad.
How Should You Store Vitamin Water to Keep It Fresh?
You should always store your unopened Vitamin Water in a cool and dark place away from any major temperatures or light sources. This could be in the back of a cabinet or in a fridge. If your Vitamin Water is already open, make sure to keep it in the fridge with the lid screwed back on tightly.
Whether it’s open or not, storing the water in the fridge is going to be the best way to go. The cold slows down any process of contamination or bacteria growth, and it will keep the drink fresh for a longer period of time. Plus, it will keep your drinks cold, which makes them more enjoyable in my opinion.
If for some reason you don’t want to store your Vitamin Water in the fridge, keep it somewhere dark and cool. This means you shouldn’t be putting it in direct sunlight or next to your oven or heater, as this will be detrimental to the freshness of the drink. Keeping it in the back of a cabinet or pantry is the next best thing if you aren’t going to be putting it in a fridge, and it should still stay good for at least 6 to 9 months.
How Do You Tell If Vitamin Water Has Gone Bad?
The main way you can tell if your Vitamin Water has gone bad is by smelling and tasting it. If it has a strange odor or doesn’t seem as flavorful as newer Vitamin Water, it’s probably gone bad. However, this doesn’t really mean that it’s unsafe to drink, it just means that it might not be as enjoyable as a new bottle would be.
Since Vitamin Water is basically just made up of sugar, water, and vitamins, it doesn’t really go bad enough to make you sick. Unless it is stored improperly and gets contaminated with something, the worst thing you will experience when you drink expired Vitamin Water is a gross taste or smell.
If it’s been around for a very long time and has been stored improperly (especially if next to high temperatures), the bottle may start to slightly degrade. Though this isn’t very common, and it would have to be around for a long time for this to happen, it may add a plastic-like taste to the water from the chemicals getting in.
The water may also turn a slightly different color if it’s pretty old. This doesn’t usually mean that it’s unsafe to drink, just that it’s been around for a long time and probably won’t taste as good. If you don’t enjoy the taste of expired Vitamin Water, it’s completely fine to just throw it out.
Can You Drink Vitamin Water That’s Past Its Expiration Date?
Drinking expired Vitamin Water will almost never harm you. As long as it still seems relatively similar to how it should be when it’s fresh, it will be completely fine to consume.
It’s very hard for water to go bad, and on top of that, there is sugar in Vitamin Water. Sugar acts as a preservative, and it makes things stay good for even longer. This means that the drink will stay good for a pretty long time before showing any signs of bacteria growth.
As long as your drink looks pretty similar to how a fresh one should look and it doesn’t have any super off tastes or smells, it will be safe to consume. The drink may taste a little bit duller, but that is only because it’s been sitting around for a while and has lost some of its quality.
All that being said, it’s up to you on whether you want to drink that expired Vitamin Water. Some people don’t like the duller taste and opt to throw it out, but if you don’t mind it, then go ahead and drink up.
Final Thoughts
Vitamin Water is a very tasty drink that lasts for a very long time. The quality may worsen overtime, but this doesn’t mean that it’s unsafe to drink, and many people enjoy their Vitamin Water long after the expiration date.
Just make sure that you store the drink properly, and when that expiration date passes, you will still be able to sip to your heart’s content.