Water Doesn't Expire! Or Does It?

Have you ever wondered why bottled water has a "drink by" date on it when we all know, water doesn't go bad?

Well, thanks to a 1987 New Jersey state law that required all food products sold there to display an expiration date of two years or less from the date of manufacture, bottled water producers got an idea.

Instead of taking the extra time to label, separate, and ship batches of "drink by"-dated water to NJ, most of them simply decided "let's just label them all", and started giving every bottle a two-year expiration date, no matter where it was going.

The U.S FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has never set or even suggested a limitation to the shelf life on bottled water, as long as it's properly sealed and bottled. Which does make sense because.. Well.. It's water!

Even though this law has been amended, the expiration date has been an industry norm for so long, many producers have just kept it on there.

"Expired" unopened bottled water isn't going to harm you in any way, but it isn't going to taste any better either. The plastic the water is packaged in for retail bottles and water cooler jugs is slightly porous, meaning things can get in, so water can pick up smells and tastes from the outside world. Discover a bottle of Aquafina water from 2007 in the basement fridge? Drink up. It'll be sue to have hints of dust a crisp kitty litter finish!