Many of us have mementos of past New Year’s resolutions lingering around the house. Yoga mats, meal prep containers, and label makers may be hiding in your closet and gathering dust, but there’s one item that takes up too much space to ignore: a bulky tub of protein powder. But it’s certainly worth unearthing from the back of your pantry.
You don’t have to limit yourself to just smoothies—protein powder is versatile enough to incorporate into oatmeal, pancakes, and any baked good under the sun. But before you get back into the protein powder grind, take a look at the expiration date.
If you don’t regularly consume protein powder, there’s a chance the tub in your pantry is expired. Is it still safe to consume? How does it affect the protein content? We consulted health and nutrition experts to unpack everything you need to know before you break out your blender.
Is Expired Protein Powder Safe To Eat?
In many cases, protein that goes past its shelf life won’t present an imminent danger to your health—but that doesn’t mean the product is the same as it was the day you bought it. “The expiration date does not necessarily reflect the ‘spoil’ date, but rather that the powder is at the peak of taste and nutritional quality. Depending on the type of food, it can signal the food getting closer to spoiling, but not necessarily,” says FDA compliance attorney Heather Bustos.
Your protein powder can veer into unsafe territory depending on how it was stored. Moisture that has been introduced to your container can encourage the growth of bacteria or mold. These growths increase your risk of contracting food borne illnesses. “If your protein powder has a desiccant pack in it, leave it in there as the pack is intended to pull moisture out of the packaging to preserve freshness as long as possible,” says Rachel Baker, Manager of Nutrition Content & Services at GNC. “Moisture is the enemy of freshness in most products.” Buthos suggests looking for obvious signs of spoilage like unusual odors, a clumpy texture, or discoloration. And when in doubt, throw it out.
If your protein powder looks otherwise fine, it should be generally safe to consume. What you might notice, however, is change in its taste and appearance. “Things like fats can be oxidized which may have negative impacts on the flavor and aroma,” says Baker. “The flavor systems that involve aromatic notes are likely to degrade after the expiration date.”
You may also experience a loss in nutrition over time. It depends on the ingredients used in your particular brand of protein powder, but vitamins will likely be the first to go, says Dr. Bryan Quoc Le, food scientist and author of 150 Food Science Questions Answered. “For example, if the label states that a serving provides 50% of the Daily Value of Vitamin C, then it may decrease to 40% of the Daily Value three months after the expiration date,” Le explains. The protein itself, however, is more resilient and should remain relatively stable.
Do Some Types Of Protein Powder Expire More Quickly Than Others?
Consumers can get protein from several different plant and animal-based sources, which have slight variations in terms of shelf life. “Because all protein powders are processed in a way to ensure stability during storage, different protein sources do not have noticeably different shelf lives,” Le says. “However, each company may have different standards for how long they want to guarantee their products’ quality, so time frames may vary among products.”
Baker says that as a general rule of thumb, plant-based protein may last longer compared to whey and other animal-based sources. But, as Le stated, it ultimately comes down to the brand and their formulation—including the processing methods and other ingredients in the product. “Blends of milk and plant-based protein powders should be judged on their most perishable ingredient meaning that consumers should consider the expiration date more cautiously,” Bustos adds.
Regardless, producers and purveyors advise against using protein powder past its expiration date. “We’re obsessed with quality and make sure all our fans can consume our products at their absolute best,” says Jen Werle, brand director at Optimum Nutrition. “Even if never opened, we do not recommend our products to be used after the expiration date.”
