Gels & best before dates

Thigh_burn

I've got a bunch of gels from SiS, Torq etc that are about 6-9mths out of date.

My inclination is they're probably fine and haven't degraded at all. Am I wrong or should I chuck them out and buy some new ones?

mrfpb

they'll be fine. I've used gels more than a year outof date. Its just sugar and flavouring and it's well packaged.

stueys

I run for about 3 months past use by dates and then bin. Gels can sit uncomfortably with me at the best of times, I figure I don't need aging ingredients also added to that mix. I'm suspecting its fine for longer though

Thigh_burn

mrfpb wrote:

they'll be fine. I've used gels more than a year outof date. Its just sugar and flavouring and it's well packaged.

That's what I'm assuming. My real concern is whether the caffeine, electrolytes and carbs will in any way have degraded. I'm not so worry about food poisoning, rather that the gels won't be doing their jobs.

harry-s

I downed an SiS bar and a gel on a ride earlier this year, both dated 2013. No problems.
I didn't spot the date till I'd eaten them, otherwise I may have thought twice...

fatladattheback

It's chemicals and sugar, I have eaten gels a year or more out of date, be grand!!

BikerGroveish

I think I heard that the use by date is actually for the packaging a bit like the use by date on bottles of water is. It’s a requirement of the regulatory quality control systems used in food production facilities that a use by date has to be assigned and it may not always pertain to anything in reality.

Matthewfalle

it'll be fine. its processed sludge in a vacuum packed tin foil wrapper so absoloutely nothing to go off/bad.

keef66

There's a subtle difference between best before and use by dates. I tend to ignore both, and rely on my senses to tell me if something's gone off. In 60 years the only thing I've ever poisoned myself with was smoked haddock. Mind you, that was spectacular in many ways...

I'm sure with something like chemical goo in a sealed foil sachet, it'll have been formulated and filled in a clean if not sterile environment, so it will likely last for years beyond the nominal date stamped on it. I'd only be concerned if a gel was blown up like a balloon, which might suggest some kind of microbial activity...

Matthewfalle

i'd actually suggest that there was nothing in a gel that would support any kind of microbial activity ....

sloppyschleckonds

More likely give you cancer by shoving artificial processed chemicals into your body, the least of your worries should be the best before dates

sungod

on a trip earlier this year i found had some over a year past use by dates, i usually stash them in the bikebox for travel in ziploc bags, once bag had missed being used a few times, it had all the old ones...

high5 isogels, the nice tangy citrus flavour had mutated into something nasty, like burnt honey

zipvit choc energy bars, what was once moist and chewy becomes dry and claggy

not dangerous, just unpalatable

Matthewfalle

sungod wrote:

not dangerous, just unpalatable

much like my ex

norvernrob

Sis ones taste exactly the same (ie slightly flavoured sludge) when a couple of years after their best before date. I’ve got a load that are dated 2016 and still use them.