Good to use?

at worst you’ll end up with bad guts and/or the shits, which is what happens to me when I have them anyway.

How out of date? I had a High5 Banana Burst that went out of date in February the other day…tasted fine and no picolax moments 😉

They’re going out of date at the moment. Won’t get used til October though most likely.

i’ve only tonight binned 20 SIS gels that went out of date in May, was quite a symbolic moment to me as i’ve managed to get my fitness to a level where i rarely need them, but will still buy a few more as emergency kit in backpack

I hand the outta date ones to mates, keep the good uns for me non of my mates have died or reported any runs :<)

Far too expensive to throw away. I’ll continue to use my significant (already out of date) stash until they’re all gone.

They’re as likely to go off as sweets.
Out of date notifications are a marketing tool.
YMMV

just get ’em down ya.

I could be wrong here, but I think they’re only dated as they have vitamin C in them

Best before: Go for it.
Use by: Don’t be so cheap, bin em and get some more.

hth

2 year out of date mule bars went down a treat at afan the other month….im still here!!!
get em down ya!!

They are all sugar which is an excellent preservative – what Samuri said

Out of date notifications are a marketing tool.

^^ this

I’m still using a batch of High5 gels that went out some time in 2009

Nowt wrong with them
We all seemed to be able to make our own decisions on these sort of things before they decided to nanny us with these dates etc.

I necked two 08 SIS gels at the inners enduro which I had bought for the puffer in 07. They were a bit lumpy but other than that no issues…

If there is no air inside the package and the seal is air tight then in the same way as tinned food it won’t go off.

MTFU, they’re sugar, they’ll be fine. I’ve used Torq gels that are over a year out of date, and you’d not know it. I can’t believe people really throw these away when they’re a couple of weeks out!

I had a power bar that I carried on rides for six years and never needed.
Eventually, one day when we had bugger all food in the house, I ate it. It was fine and so am I.

With gels, not only is sugar a good preservative, but it’s vacuum packed as well. It will be fine. Like the 70 year old tins we cleared out of my grandma’s house when she moved in with us….

Probably get the shits mate!

dates on most energy food are there as after a certain amount of time the nutritional info cannot be guaranteed (sugars break down, vitamin content depletes)

Most of them will last 5 years without even thinking about going “off” as long as they are kept at a sensible temperature

As some have said above, the contents may have changed slightly especially the flavour and consistency. Sugars may change slowly over time as may some vitamins. They are unlikely to make you ill unless the packaging is damaged.

Out of date notifications are a marketing tool.

Pretty sure they’re a legal requirement – you have to have one even if they’re a nonsense for your product.

Use your head with all food – smell, taste and appearance. 3 year out of code Torq bars were a bit drier and harder but tasted fine.

You’re right about best before dates, although the health implications of eating something that will never rot is not well understood.

I had a power bar that I carried on rides for six years and never needed.
Eventually, one day when we had bugger all food in the house, I ate it. It was fine and so am I.

i did this with an 8 year old Marathon bar which I kept when they changed the name to Snickers…

decided it was not going to make me rich keeping it, so despite it being a bit white and hard was ok 😉

Necked a few over a year old with no ill effects.

If I’d read the date first I would have been probably put off though.

That’s that settled then, what I thought. Ta all.

In or out of date they do grim things to my digestive system, but this only seems an issue to my co-workers. But my personal faves, Viper Boost Bars, make me smell like I am dying on the inside.

Nick – Member
You’re right about best before dates, although the health implications of eating something that will never rot is not well understood.

eh?
high sugar/salt foodstuffs dehydrate bacteria. this kills the bacteria.
a principle used by mankind for millenia with no problems, also the rather thick plastic used for gels should help keep the bugs out 😉
they might change in consistency and taste over the years but it would be pretty hard to make it any worse. as long as it is still sealed i would have no problem eating an old gel or bar. (not so sure about a vintage marathon though)

not wanting to start a new argument but why does bottled water have a best before then?

I had some pasta that was fifteen years past it’s sell by date.

It wasn’t very good, but I din’t die or owt.

I love this thead. “I did it, so it must be ok”. Some people have shot themselves in the face and lived. 😀

Either way, as I said above, if it’s a “Best before”, then you use your common sense. If it’s green, and runs away from you then probably leave it. If not, you’re good to go. Best befores tend to be a year after production and are a guide to “freshness”, not a limit on when the food can be used. Sell by is pretty much the same (just a guide for the seller, rather than the consumer).

If it’s a “Use by”, then bin it. Use by is not set by the manufacturer in order to get you to chuck away your food and spend more. It’s a scientific standard that it’s not a great idea to ignore.