Protein is made up of amino acids forming a long chain in the body, known as building blocks. Protein is essential for the growth and maintenance of tissues. During digestion, protein breaks down into amino acids, which the body requires to maintain good health. Due to dietary restrictions, it can be hard to consume enough protein. Protein powder is an excellent supplement that offers a convenient way to increase your protein intake inexpensively.
Protein Powder often comes from an animal or plant-based source, including whey, casein, soy, collagen, pea, rice, or egg white. They also contain other nutrients such as fats, carbs, vitamins, and minerals. Additionally, they come with natural and artificial flavors and thickening agents to preserve their creamier texture and mouthfeel.
Now, if you have an old tub of protein powder sitting in your kitchen cabinet for a long time, you must be wondering if you can drink it after a certain period. This article will discuss whether protein powder expires and is safe to consume after expiration.
What is the Shelf Life of Protein Powder?
The shelf life refers to how long food retains optimal quality after production. An accelerated shelf-life test is a way of measuring and evaluating the stability of a product by keeping it under stressful circumstances. Using this method, researchers have found that under normal conditions, whey protein powder has a shelf life of more than 12 months up to 19 months. And additives such as maltodextrin, lecithin, and salt increase the shelf-life, allowing it for around two years. Visit here online best thaibettingnews.com website.
Supplement manufacturers don’t have to include an expiration date on their products. Still, many companies voluntarily mention a “best by” or “use by” stamp along with the manufactured date. The “use by” date refers to the quality more than the safety, and the “best by” date is for both quality and safety. The “sell by” date is for sellers and refers to the date they should sell it. One-third of products’ shelf-life remains after the “sell by” date. So you are good to consume it after that date.
How to Tell if Your Protein Powder has Gone Bad?
Protein powders are low moisture foods which means they are less prone to bacterial growth. Protein powder can lose protein content with time. If it is not stored under proper temperature, it can go rancid even before the expiration date, so it is recommended to store it under cool and dry storage conditions. Also, oxidation increases with time and may damage the quality of the supplement.
All protein powder has an end of shelf life and can expire. Consuming putrid protein powder can affect your health negatively; it could make you sick. You can tell if the powder is good or bad by the below steps:
Do a Sniff Test
Sniff tests are essential for non-vegan supplements as they go rancid more quickly than vegan ones. While they are not as bad as sour milk, they will smell a little funky when they are donezo.
Eyeball It
Look into the container; get rid of that package if you see any blue, green, or gray particles. Those particles are known as mold, and they are the sign that powder is spoiled.
Taste It
Taste the powder if the smell is okay and there is no sign of mold. Add a pinch of powder into water and drink it. If it tastes differently, you can not continue consuming it.
Bottom Line
Every packaged good has an expiration date, so does protein powder. While it is not recommended to eat food past its expiration date, consuming the supplement shortly after the expiration is safe as long as there is no foul smell, bitter taste, or color change. When trying to replace your old supplement, you should inspect the quality and ingredients of the product. Check out the list of best protein supplement powders and choose the one that fits your health needs.
