Food Safety: Is Bottled Water Safe To Drink After Its Expiry Date?

Many people think that water is a non-perishable food but they are all wrong. It is not, which means bottled water will not be healthy to drink forever.

Yes, bottled water does expire and yes they come with expiry dates even though many don't think to check.

There are various reasons why bottled water has an expiration date however the FDA doesn’t make it mandatory and says it’s okay to drink bottled water even when it is past its expiration date as long as it was stored properly.

Is It fine to drink expired water?

When water goes bad, it is usually not because of the water quality and more because of where the water is stored.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is used to make retail bottles and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is used for water cooler jugs. These compounds can start leaching into the water when exposed to extreme conditions or once they expire.

This means their toxicity seeps into the water which makes it dangerous if consumed. This will leave some taste in the water as well.

The toxins, absorbed by the body, are disruptive to the endocrine system, triggering reproductive symptoms, various cancers and neurological problems while damaging the immune system.

The plastic becomes very porous, causing the water to accumulate odours. In rare cases, it may even lead to the growth of mould.

In summary, as long as your water bottle was stored in a cool, dry place out of sunlight, the water should be fine to drink no matter how long it's been.

As far as most water bottle companies are concerned, it takes about two years for bottled water to expire. However, there is no real way to predict when it is no longer safe to drink bottled water. The FDA has also maintained that despite the expiry dates, water has no required expiry date and you should be fine but cautious.