Community Chat

[Still Raining]

They date it because the plastic in the bottle degenerates.  Short lived plastic.

[MorningLover]

Expiration dates can also be used by retailers to help with stock rotation, ensuring that older bottles are sold first, minimizing the chance of them being stored for too long and potentially degrading. 

[World Traveler]

They definitely should have "use by" dates. The water tastes terrible when they haven't been used after sitting in a car, garage, pantry, etc, unopened. I definitely notice the difference and have frequently had to throw them away because I purchased a case of them and didn't finish them in a timely manner. The plastic seems to absorb whatever is around them, like being set next to cleaners or the fumes from the car, etc.

Now I have an appliance that filters the water and just fill a bottle when I need one for on-the-go times.

[Stray]

Bacteria growth

[RedTop]

All of the responses are spot on, but to me it just makes sense that any product we buy and use, has an expiration date.  I don't think anything should be on a store shelf forever.

[Kachina624]

@JoyFilled Warrior.  All you have to do is ask Google

Bottled water typically has an expiration date not because the water itself spoils, but because the plastic bottle may degrade over time, potentially leaching chemicals into the water and affecting its taste or smell. The expiration date is more of a "best by" date, indicating when the manufacturer recommends the water for optimal quality and taste

[SilleeMee]

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@RedTop wrote:

All of the responses are spot on, but to me it just makes sense that any product we buy and use, has an expiration date.  I don't think anything should be on a store shelf forever.

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TWINKIES might last forever...LOL!

[cindyNC]

@SilleeMee  Your post made me laugh.  I had a neighbor who liked Peeps, but only when they were old.  Found some on a trip once that had to have been on the shelf for a few years.  Yuck. 

[SportyShorty07]

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@SilleeMee wrote:

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@RedTop wrote:

All of the responses are spot on, but to me it just makes sense that any product we buy and use, has an expiration date.  I don't think anything should be on a store shelf forever.

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TWINKIES might last forever...LOL!

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@SilleeMee  hahaha SilleeMee! So true 🤣!  I love a good twinkie once in a while  lol

[JoyFilled Warrior]

Thank you for your responses!  Go figure!

Gosh, I took a second look.  The Sell by/Use by dates on these bottles of water are dated 3 years out!  I wonder how fast/slow leeching microplastics take.