# It says "Perishable. Keep refrigerated" but what could possibly be perishable in this coffee bottle?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-says-perishable-keep-refrigerated-but-what-could-possibly-be-perishable-in-this-coffee-bottle/852675>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 27, 2020, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-says-perishable-keep-refrigerated-but-what-could-possibly-be-perishable-in-this-coffee-bottle/852675 "2020-04-27T16:04:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![greenpurple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/278dde/32.png) [@greenpurple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenpurple)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-says-perishable-keep-refrigerated-but-what-could-possibly-be-perishable-in-this-coffee-bottle/852675/21 "2020-04-30T00:40:35Z")

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> [@Cheesesteak](#):
>
> A pot of black coffee, if left long enough, will grow all sorts of awful things in it. I’ve seen it and cleaned it and been grossed out by it. No need to add sugar or milk to support the lifecycle.

We’re talking about an unopened plastic bottle though. Not an open container.

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**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-says-perishable-keep-refrigerated-but-what-could-possibly-be-perishable-in-this-coffee-bottle/852675/22 "2020-04-30T00:50:33Z")

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> [@Melbourne](#):
>
> I don’t have the source for this quote:
> 
> "Unlike all of the other posters in this thread, I have done this experiment. A cup of brewed coffee left at room temperature for 24 hours had about 60% of its caffeine remaining. There’s been lots of talk of caffeine’s chemical stability, but it’s a carbon and nitrogen source for bacteria. Edit: also, coffee left at 4 degrees celsius for 2 weeks had less than 5% of its original caffeine content. "

Huh. I wonder if that’s how they make Sanka.

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