why is there an expiration date on bottle's of water?

Question

far as I know water can't go bad!!!! lol

Answer 1

well, you're in luck...i work at Mountain Valley Water, right where the water comes out of the ground. Here's the problem....its the plastic bottle. Some bottled water is ozonated to help keep the water fresh longer, which can be a few years. But at some point it could become affected by the plastic bottle wearing out developing a leak and so on. The date is so it can be rotated out of stock. Drink the water....its safe. with another hurricane, all bottled water becomes important.

Answer 2

[quote]
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.
[/quote]
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/botwatr.html

[quote]
Why does bottled water have an expiration date?
There are several reasons for an expiration date on a bottle of drinking water. Some states require that every food item has an expiration date, so even candy or nuts and other perishables may have them. The other reason is the taste. As long as a bottle of water stays unopened, it is safe to drink. The taste however can change over the course of time. The plastic of the container can make the taste go bad when it is not stored properly. Also, sunlight can deteriorate the plastic and add to the bad flavor. Many gases are able to pass through plastics, which can affect the taste of bottled water. For those reasons, always store plastic bottles in a dry dark place without the presence of household chemicals (paint thinner, gasoline and dry cleaning chemicals). It is recommended that when a bottle of water is opened, it is used within two weeks, because algae or bacteria can start to grow and will cause health risks. So bottled water doesn't spoil when unopened, but the taste can change over time and some states require an expiration date. That's why bottled water has an expiration date.

This article appeared in the "Ask a scientist" section of the Ithaca Journal (03/17/2005).
[/quote]
http://waterquality.cce.cornell.edu/faq/questionm1.html

Answer 3

If you've wondered whether that bottled water you have in storage is good after its expiration date, it probably is.

The Food and Drug Administration says bottled water should have an indefinite shelf life.

You will see expiration dates on bottled water, but Stephen Kay with the International Bottled Water Association in Alexandria says the industry is just following the law. And the laws differ from state to state, so the industry opts for expiration dates that are usually a couple of years from when the water was bottled.

The water, as long as its been stored in a cool place and the seal isn't broken, should be fine.

Answer 4

water that is bottled it treated cleaned and purified these chemicals are not bad for you but can get that way if they break down. chemicals will breakdown in time and the taste you will taste is almost a bitter thick taste which will leave a film in your mouth. now I know this sounds really bad but the effects are very mild and most the time you wont feel nothing more than a bad taste but it can make you appear to have the flu at times and will flush quickly with fresh water or juice. although a date is not something that will tell you when the water has become bad you can see it in the water as it will form little bubbles of oxygen throughout the water

Answer 5

Why are shelf life and best before dates used?

Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Bottled Drinking Water Regulations do not specify a requirement to display a best before date, however best before dates as well as production and batch numbers which allow products to be traced are required legally under the Food Labelling Regulation 1996, Regulations 21 and 22 and by the Food (Lot Marking Regulations 1996).
In addition the industry has set out its own guidelines. These are as follows:-
Maximum 2 years for glass (still & sparkling) and plastic (still)
Maximum 1 year for sparkling (plastic) The shorter shelf life reflects the tendency to lose its ‘sparkle after this time - although it is still safe to drink.

Answer 6

Water can no longer 'destroy' in spite of the undeniable fact that it could 'bypass stale' and it is the reason there is an 'expiration date' on bottled water. in case you drink it after the expiration date, you will see that it actual 'tastes stale' as though it is been 'sitting too long' ... water is 'alive' and needs to 'pass' to stay that way ... bottled water is 'lifeless' and would bypass stale. strange, yet real.

Answer 7

No, but this being America, some fool would probably drink it now, recap and drink the rest two years from now after all the bacteria had grown in the bottle, get sick and sue the manufacturer, packaging company, store owner and their mother. It is our society that caused it. Just like the 'Contents may be hot' labels on the coffee cups when you get coffee from McDonalds or whatever. That is all because some lady spilled hot coffee on herself, sued and won BIG $$$$$.

Answer 8

Oh yes, it can.
Only demineralized and sterylized water cannot go bad.

Regular water that you buy in shop is neither, so may and usually do contain bacteria. In a logner period of time, you can get so much bacteria that water becomes contaminated.
Also, temperature changes for a longer period can change chemical composition.

Simply, to avoid LAW problem, companies put date where is no safe (for them) to use the product.

Answer 9

Water will go bad if harmful bacteria grow in it, just like anything else. Unless you start with sterilized water in a hermetically sealed container, you can eventually get bacterial growth.

Or maybe it will just taste like plastic if it sits in the bottle too long.

Answer 10

because the bottles aren't so "natural", especially if they are made of PVC or PET. It's the same reason because they say "do not expose in direct sunlight and at high temperature".
Glass bottles have less problem but however a closed water can generate microbes and can lose its good properties.