Is It Safe To Drink Expired Soda?

Sometimes it's easy to buy too much soda. Maybe you stocked up for a party or perhaps your favorite limited-time flavor is coming to an end. Whatever the reason, you might find yourself with far more soda than you anticipated and an expiration date in sight. But if you ever wondered if soda truly expires, then you might also be curious if you can still drink it once it does.

The good news is that soda is sealed off when it is canned or bottled, according to reference site Does It Go Bad. Per the USDA, you can easily drink diet soda up to three months after it expires and regular soda up to nine months post-expiration date. Even then, those guidelines are primarily due to the taste and experience you'll have when drinking the beverage. In other words, anytime past these best-by dates, the soda shouldn't be harmful to consume, but it won't taste as good. That's because the soda will begin to lose some of its flavor as well as its carbonation even though it is sealed.

Sodas that have been opened will not last as long because they will lose their carbonation more quickly. But as Does It Go Bad explains, you can keep opened soda for a time so long as it is stored well with a good seal. But for those who have bought too much soda and know it will surpass the expiration date without being opened, you can plan to store the cans or bottles in a better place to help preserve the contents.

Whether you have cans or bottles of soda on hand, they need to be stored in a place where the temperature will not change drastically or very often. That could be somewhere like your pantry, the garage, an extra fridge to keep them out of the way, or even a cellar. One major thing to note for any soda that may be exposed to light, such as those in clear bottles, is that they should be kept away from bright light to prevent them from going bad faster. But with these tips, you can enjoy leftover, older, and even expired soda for months to come.