# Why expiration date on bottled water? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 13, 2012, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-expiration-date-on-bottled-water/612676 "2012-02-13T05:03:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pablo\_O\_Malley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f19dbf/32.png) [@Pablo\_O\_Malley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pablo_O_Malley)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-expiration-date-on-bottled-water/612676/1 "2012-02-13T05:03:27Z")
Some bottled water has an expiration date on it why does water go bad or is it a law that all foodstuffs much have an expiration date, except honey of course:smack::smack::smack::smack: ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-expiration-date-on-bottled-water/612676/2 "2012-02-13T05:13:29Z")
Here, [let me Google that for you](http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Why+expiration+date+on+bottled+water%3F): > [@](#): > > All companies that produce consumables must, by federal law, have an expiration date on it. Since bottled water is a consumable the company must put a expiration date on it. > Also some water becomes impure due to plastic melting or substances released into the water by the plastic. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-expiration-date-on-bottled-water/612676/3 "2012-02-13T05:14:11Z")
> [@](#): > > What is the shelf life for bottled water? > Bottled water is considered to have an indefinite safety shelf life if it is produced in accordance with CGMP and quality standard regulations and is stored in an unopened, properly sealed container. Therefore, FDA does not require an expiration date for bottled water. However, long-term storage of bottled water may result in aesthetic defects, such as off-odor and taste. Bottlers may voluntarily put expiration dates on their labels. [http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/BottledWaterCarbonatedSoftDrinks/ucm077079.htm](http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/BottledWaterCarbonatedSoftDrinks/ucm077079.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-expiration-date-on-bottled-water/612676/4 "2012-02-14T00:24:52Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > Here, [let me Google that for you](http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Why+expiration+date+on+bottled+water%3F): You might want to familiarize yourself with the [GQ Rules](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=466202), **Askance**. Rule #5 states in part: [QUOTE=GQ Rules] By the same token, we aren’t interested in hearing about how stupid the question was because a search could have answered the question. Nor are we interested in hearing how simple it was for another poster to find the answer in a search engine. If it’s that simple to find the answer, go ahead and post the answer. [/QUOTE] Just a reminder. No warning issued. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-expiration-date-on-bottled-water/612676/5 "2012-02-14T00:30:55Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:4, topic:612676”] You might want to familiarize yourself with the [GQ Rules](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=466202), **Askance**. Rule #5 states in part: Just a reminder. No warning issued. [/QUOTE] I think we should be more concerned with the fact that his answer appears to be wrong, at least according to my cite from the FDA. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-expiration-date-on-bottled-water/612676/6 "2012-02-14T00:37:56Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > I think we should be more concerned with the fact that his answer appears to be wrong, at least according to my cite from the FDA. Maybe it’s not that easy to come up with the correct answer in Google after all? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Baffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-expiration-date-on-bottled-water/612676/7 "2012-02-14T01:18:30Z")
PET bottles will tend to soften and lose their shape over time, especially the very thin and light bottles some manufacturers have started using. That aesthetic difference has caused at least one producer to lower their best before date from two years (the maximum in my jurisdiction) to eighteen months. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-expiration-date-on-bottled-water/612676/8 "2012-02-14T01:36:03Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > All companies that produce consumables must, by federal law, have an expiration date on it. Since bottled water is a consumable the company must put a expiration date on it. > Also some water becomes impure due to plastic melting or substances released into the water by the plastic. Actually, that’s incorrect. Apart from baby formula and infant foods, the FDA does not require or regulate expiration dates and any expiration dates are purely voluntary, put on by the manufacturer. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-expiration-date-on-bottled-water/612676/9 "2012-02-14T02:07:26Z")
Producers probably don’t want to be bothered with guaranteeing your bottled water for 5 years. Who knows what might happen in that time. Or, they want you to throw it away so you’ll have to buy more.