How long is soda safe to drink after the expiration date?

Unopened regular soda is generally safe for 6 to 9 months past the 'best-by' date, while diet sodas typically maintain quality for 3 months. Because soda is carbonated and acidic, it is not a hospitable environment for bacteria, making it a matter of taste and carbonation rather than safety.

Does diet soda expire faster than regular soda?

Yes, diet soda expires faster because artificial sweeteners like aspartame break down chemically over time, losing their sweetness and altering the flavor. While still safe to drink, diet soda will taste 'off' much sooner than sugar-sweetened soda, which acts as a better preservative for flavor.

Is it dangerous to drink flat, expired soda?

Drinking flat, expired soda is not dangerous, but it will be unpalatable. As carbon dioxide escapes the container, the soda loses its 'bite' and the flavor profile shifts. Unless the container is damaged, leaking, or showing signs of mold, the primary risk is a poor-tasting beverage.

Can you get food poisoning from old soda?

It is highly unlikely to get food poisoning from old soda if the seal is intact. The high acidity and lack of nutrients in most soft drinks prevent the growth of harmful pathogens. However, you should always inspect the container for bulging, rust, or leaks before drinking.

What Happens If You Drink Expired Soda?

Drinking expired soda is generally safe because carbonated soft drinks are not perishable and do not “expire” in terms of food safety. While the dates on Coca-Cola or Pepsi cans are “best-by” markers for peak quality, an unopened soda remains safe to drink indefinitely if the seal is intact. However, over time, the beverage will lose carbonation, the flavor will shift, and artificial sweeteners in diet sodas will begin to break down.

Reading the date of an expired Coca-Cola soda can

⚡ Quick Answer: Unopened soda is not perishable and is safe to drink indefinitely. However, it will lose carbonation and flavor over time.

Regular Soda (Unopened): Best within 9 months.
Diet Soda: Best within 3 months (sweeteners break down faster).
Safety Check: If the can is bulging, leaking, or rusted, toss it!

How Long Can You Keep an Expired Soda Before Drinking It?

Expired soda is generally safe to drink. However, it is generally advised to drink a sugar-sweetened soda within 9 months of purchasing it. Diet sodas, however, do not maintain their quality as long and should be consumed within 3 months of purchase. The “best by” date tells you when the soda is expected to be at its peak quality and taste. After this date has passed, the soda company does not guarantee that the soda will be at its best. The soda will still probably be safe to drink, though. Storing sodas in a cool, dry place will help maintain their quality longer.

As a rule of thumb, remember that diet sodas, in general, have a shorter shelf-life than regular sodas and must be enjoyed sooner in order for them to be at peak quality. After opening a bottled soda, you can store it in the refrigerator or even the pantry as long as it the cap is replaced and the bottle is tightly sealed.

🧪 Science Alert: The “Coke vs. Stomach Acid” Mystery You’ve probably seen the viral video of soda turning into a terrifying black sludge. But is that actually what happens inside your body? We put the “Stomach Acid” myth to the test to see what’s really going on.

So, You Can Drink a 50-Year-Old Soda?

This is where the rubber meets the road, or rather, whether the theory meets the evidence. The acidic environment inside a can or bottle of soda pop is thought to not support the growth of bacteria. While an antique bottle of Coca-Cola may be safe to drink, you can bet it will be completely flat, will have lost much of its flavor, and will taste strange, if not foul. However, we also don’t actually know whether it’s completely safe to drink because, as you could have guessed, nobody has carried out scientific experiments to test whether a 50-year-old soda pop is safe to drink. Nobody knows what will happen if you drink a soda that old. So, if you come across some old, discontinued soda that you always wanted to try, it’s probably best not to try it!

In other words, when I said above that nothing will happen if you drink a soda that appears to be expired, I was talking about a soda that was only a few months or several months past its prime. If you are foolish enough to taste a 50-year-old soda, or even a 20-year-old one, no article can help you. You’re on your own!

🥫 Wait! Don’t toss that can yet. Think that “use-by” date on your canned corn is a hard deadline? You might be surprised. Check out the real truth about how long canned food actually stays safe to eat.

How Do You Read the Dates Stamped On Sodas?

The dates you will find on a soda label or stamped on the bottom of soda can indicate different things on different products. On some sodas, the date is a manufacture date. On others, the date is a sell-by date. Both use an MMMDDYY date, except Pepsi leaves spaces between each date component (MMM DD YY). This means the date will read as a three letter month abbreviation, a two-digit day, and a two-digit year. Therefore, the date JUN2125 (JUN 21 25) indicates a sell-by date of June 21, 2025.

How to Find Expiration Dates on Coca-Cola and Pepsi

Coca-Cola Cans: Look at the bottom of the can.
Coca-Cola Bottles: Check the cap or the upper “neck” of the bottle.
Pepsi Cans: Look at the bottom of the can (note that Pepsi often uses spaces: MMM DD YY).
Pepsi Bottles: Check the cap or the shoulder of the bottle.
7Up & A&W: Look for a Julian date code (MM DDD Y) on the bottom of the can.

7Up, A&W, and Canada Dry Codes

Unlike Coke and Pepsi, these brands often use a Julian Date code to indicate when the beverage was bottled.

The Format: Typically MM DDD Y
How to Read It:
- MM: The manufacturing plant code.
- DDD: The day of the year (001 to 365).
- Y: The last digit of the year.
Example: A code of “01 059 6” means the soda was made on the 172nd day of 2026 (February 28, 2026).

📅 Shelf-Life Tip: Regular 7Up and A&W are best within 9 months of this date, while diet versions should be consumed within 3 months. Canada Dry products are more shelf-stable and maintain quality for up to 39 months.

🥤 The Pepsi Challenge: Was it Rigged? Pepsi famously won the “sip test” for decades, yet Coca-Cola remained the world’s favorite. Discover the fascinating psychological trick that explains why Pepsi wins the sip, but Coke wins the can.

Common Questions About Expired Soda

How long is soda safe to drink after the expiration date? Unopened regular soda is generally safe for 6 to 9 months past the “best-by” date, while diet sodas typically maintain quality for 3 months. Because soda is carbonated and acidic, it is not a hospitable environment for bacteria, making it a matter of taste and carbonation rather than safety.
Does diet soda expire faster than regular soda? Yes, diet soda expires faster because artificial sweeteners like aspartame break down chemically over time, losing their sweetness and altering the flavor. While still safe to drink, diet soda will taste “off” much sooner than sugar-sweetened soda, which acts as a better preservative for flavor.
Is it dangerous to drink flat, expired soda? Drinking flat, expired soda is not dangerous, but it will be unpalatable. As carbon dioxide escapes the container, the soda loses its “bite” and the flavor profile shifts. Unless the container is damaged, leaking, or showing signs of mold, the primary risk is a poor-tasting beverage.
Can you get food poisoning from old soda? It is highly unlikely to get food poisoning from old soda if the seal is intact. The high acidity and lack of nutrients in most soft drinks prevent the growth of harmful pathogens. However, you should always inspect the container for bulging, rust, or leaks before drinking.