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I just discovered on a long ride today that the gels I was carrying were beyond their best before date by 18 months, and consequently ended up leaving them in my jersey pocket.
Would there have been anything wrong with consuming them? Other than, perhaps, changing in consistency (coagulating), can the gels actually "go off"?
It's sugar in a foil tube. Will be fine.
I've eaten energy gels and bars years past their sell by date.
Mine are years past, our warehouse is next to Reflex and in the next door unit they have all the High 5 stuff. I managed to intercept a box of out of date promotional gels heading for the bin.😊
The only date that matters is ‘use by’ which applies to fresh food. ‘Best before’ and ‘sell by’ on packets you’d buy on an unrefrigerated shelf in the shop and keep in an unrefrigerated shelf at home means nothing really other than being useful for stock control - the food inside will be safe to eat indefinitely
Cool. Thanks. That's quite a bit of money saved then!
Energy gel russian roulette.
Have bog roll handy.*
*nah, you'll be fine, there's not exactly much to go off in them.
They can go a bit lumpy after a couple of years but I've never had any ill effects.
It's concentrated sugary acid.. will be fine for another 10 years or so
I smashed a couple at the weekend. Still alive and managed to sink one this morning on a ride.
I think there is a maximum 18 month period on best before dates. That's what tin cans have, and they have proven to be edible decades after they were made.
I’ve had some SIS gels and bars 12 months+ beyond the BB date, and have been in a fridge the whole time.
Gels have been OK, but I’ve chucked bars as my stomach certainly went iffy last time.
Molgrips - I did find a 15 yr out of date tin in the back of my cupboards that was bulging suspiciously - wouldn't have fancied eating that!
Not sure I've ever eaten an in date energy gel!
Not sure I’ve ever eaten an in date energy gel!
Yeah there’s much nicer equivalents,jelly babies kindles mint cake,flapjacks,haribos or even er healthier options.
Unless your a pro or a racer don’t see the desire for them and tbh I just find the gels just a sticky mess when you’ve got to stow the packets.
Don't be slagging off gels. They are easier to eat than normal food and despite most of us not being pro we do sometimes ride on our own personal limits, and that means our stomach isn't up for digesting proper food. And there's only so much Kendal Mint Cake you can eat.
Gels are expensive though and the packets are messy which is why I use maltodextrin powder - it's cheaper than any food, very easy to drink when mixed at the right strength, and very easy to digest.
Molgrips – I did find a 15 yr out of date tin in the back of my cupboards that was bulging suspiciously – wouldn’t have fancied eating that!
That is interesting, I wonder why? Maybe the packet had been damaged and bacteria got in?
Yeah there’s much nicer equivalents,jelly babies kindles mint cake,flapjacks,haribos or even er healthier options.
I meant more from a point of view that I'll often buy them cheap (short dated) and don't have them too often so inevitably end up eating them past their date.
I found some out of date SIS ones a few months back. About 9 months out of date. They were on top of a kitchen cupboard so probably quite a warm space through the summer months.
Yes they can and do go off. That was a disappointing mid ride energy boost. It just tasted like a very over ripe bit of soft fruit where some of the sugars had converted to god knows what. Not absolutely foul but I threw the rest out.
That is interesting, I wonder why? Maybe the packet had been damaged and bacteria got in?
I have no idea unfortunatly. It went in the bin.
I had a gel that was bought in 2015 last weekend with no side effects.
An old boss worked at Smedley- a uk food canning processor. In the early 70s they found some boxes of tinned peas that were govt Cold War bunker rations from the mid 50s. The food technologist said they should be ok and all the senior managers tried them with no problem.
Yes they can and do go off.
I think heat does that. My stuff is in my man cave which has a corrugated plastic roof. Last July during 24/12 I necked a caffeine gel which has been in there at 40 degree temps. I threw it up near the rifle range 30 mins later.
Currently making my way through a box which expired in December with no issues.
I've eaten loads of gels and bars many years past use by without any ill effects. Torq bars get darker in colour and a bit tougher to chew but that seems to be about it.
Yep, have eaten loads of gels in the past to no ill effect.
Recently discovered the Veloforte ones though which are really tasty and don't just get shoved in the back of a cupboard.