Can oatmeal go bad?

Question

I just opened a sealed package of Quaker Oats that I've had for awhile. It cooked up fine, but when I tasted it, it tasted sour. I know that they warn that pancake mix can go bad with some type of mold spores. Does anyone know if something similar applies to oatmeal?

Answer 1

Hi !!!
Here is are two lists that you might find informative...

Food Storage Shelf Life

Food Items
Recommended Shelf Life

Wheat indefinitely
Evaporated/condensed milk 12 months
Non-fat dry milk 12 months
Dried eggs 12 months
Dried vegetables 6-12 months
Dried Meat 6 months
Dried Fruit 6-24 months
Cereal (cheerios, etc.) 6-18 months
Baking powder 6-12 months
Cornstarch 2-3 years
Cornmeal 12 months
Baking Chocolate 6-12 months
Tapioca 12 months
Yeast (Dry) 12-18 months
Baking Soda 8-12 months
Sodas indefinitely
Canned Fruit 2-3 years
Canned Vegetables 12 months
Canned acidic vegetables 12-18 months
Soups 12 months
Canned Meat 12 months
Canned Fruit Juices 18-24 months
***********One Minute Oatmeal 12 months***********
Bleached Flour 12 months
Noodles 9 months
Gelatin 18 months
Honey up to 2 years
Jam/jelly/preserves up to 18 months
Syrup/molasses 12 months
Mayo 6 months
Nuts (vacuum packed) 12 months
Peanut butter 6-9 months
Dry beans & peas 2 years
Pudding mix 12 months
Salad dressing 9-12 months
Gravy mixes 6-12 months
Vinegar at least 2 years
Sugar (granulated) indefinitely
Sugar (brown) 6 months
Sugar (powdered) 12-18 months
Rice (white) 2 + years

--------AND...

Before opening, shelf-stable foods should be safe unless the can or packaging has been damaged. After opening, store products in tightly closed containers. The storage of many shelf-stable items at room temperature is a quality issue -- unless the product is contaminated (bugs in flour, for example). Some foods must be refrigerated after opening, such as tuna or chili.

Shelf-stable
foods Unopened
on shelf Opened,
refrigerated Opened
on shelf
Baby food, jars or cans
Fruits & vegetables 2 months
after date 2-3 days
Meats & eggs 2 months
after date 1 day
Cereal, dry mixes Use-by date 2 months
Formula Use-by date 1-2 days
Bacon Bits,
imitation 4 months 4 months
Baking ingredients
Baking powder 6 months 3 months
Baking soda 18 months 6 months
Biscuit or
pancake mix 15 months Pkg. use-by date
Cake, brownie
and bread mixes 12-18 months Pkg. use-by date
Cornmeal, regular degerminated 6-12 months 12 months
stone ground or blue 1 month 2-3 months
Cornstarch 18 months 18 months
Flour, white 6-12 months 6-8 months
Flour, whole wheat 1 month 6-8 months
Frosting, canned 10 months 1 week
Frosting mixes 12 months 3 months
Beans, dried 12 months 12 months
Canned goods,
low acid 2-5 years 3-4 days
(such as meat, poultry, fish, gravy, stew, soups, beans, carrots, corn, pasta, peas, potatoes, spinach)

Canned goods,
high acid 12-18 months 5-7 days
(such as juices, fruit, pickles, sauerbraut, tomato, soup, and foods in vinegar-based sauce)

Cereal, ready-to-eat 6-12 months 3 months
**cook before eating (oatmeal, etc.) 12 months 6-12 months **
Chocolate, unsweetened
and semi-sweet, solid 18-24 months 1 year
Chocolate syrup 2 years 6 months
Cocoa and
cocoa mixes indefinitely 1 year
Coffee
Whole beans, non-vacuum bag 1-3 weeks 3-4 months
frozen
Ground, in cans 2 years 2 weeks
Instant, jars and tins 12 months 2-3 months
Condiments
Barbecue sauce, bottled 12 months 4 months 1 month
Catsup, tomato; cocktail sauce or chili sauce 12 months 6 months 1 month
Chutney 12 months 1-2 months
Horseradish, in jar 12 months 3-4 months
Mayonnaise, commercial 2-3 months 2 months
Mustard 12 months 1 year 1-2 months
Olives, black
and green 12 -18 months 2 weeks
Pickles 12 months 1-2 months
Salad dressings, commercial, bottled 10-12 months 3 months
Salsa, picante and taco sauces 12 months 1 month
Cookies, packaged 2 months 8-12 months frozen 4 weeks
Crackers 8 months freeze or refrig.
3-4 months 1 month
Diet powder mixes 6 months 3 months
Extracts, vanilla,
lemon, etc. 3 years 1 year
Fruits, dried 6 months 6 months
Garlic, chopped, commercial jars 18 months Refrigerate; use
by date on jar
Gelatin, flavored 18 months Use all or reseal for 3-4 months
Gelatin, unflavored 3 years Use all or reseal for 3-4 months
Gravy, jars & cans 2-5 years 1-2 days
dry gravy mixes 2 years Mix entire packet
Herbs, dried 1-2 years Store in cool dark place 1 year.
Honey 12 months 12 months
Jams, jellies, preserves 12 months 6 months
Juice, boxes 4-6 months 8-12 days
Lentils, dried 12 months 12 months
Maple syrup,
pure genuine 12 months 12 months
Marshmallows, marshmallow creme 2-4 months 1 month
Milk, canned evaporated 12 months 4-5 days
Molasses 12 months 6 months
Mushrooms, dried 6 months 3 months
Oils, olive or vegetable 6 months 4-6 months
walnut, macadamia, other nut oils 6 months 4 months
vegetable oil sprays 2 years 1 year
Nuts, jars or cans 12 months 4-6 months,
Freeze 9-12 months
Pasta, dry, made without eggs 2 years 1 year
dry egg noodles 2 years 1-2 months
Peanut butter, commercial 6-9 months 2-3 months
Peas, dried split 12 months 12 months
Pectin Use by package date 1 mo.
Popcorn, dry kernels in jar 2 years 1 year
commercially popped in bags 2-3 months 1-2 weeks
Microwave packets 12 months 1-2 days popped
Potato chips 2 months 1-2 weeks
Potatoes, instant 6-12 months 6-12 months
Pudding mixes 12 months 3-4 months
Rice, white or wild 2 years 1 year
brown 1 year 6 months
flavored or herb mixes 6 months Use entire amt.
Sauce mixes, non dairy (spaghetti, taco, etc.) 2 years Use entire amt.
cream sauces with milk solids 1 year
Shortening, solid 8 months 3 months
Soda such as carbonated cola drinks, mixers:
Diet sodas,
bottles or cans 3 months
after date 2-3 days
Regular sodas, bottles 3 months
after date 2-3 days
Regular sodas,
cans 9 months
after date n.a.
Soup mixes 12 months Use entire amt.
Spices, whole 2-4 years Included in total
ground 2-3 years Included in total
Paprika, red pepper, chili powder 2 years Store in refrig.
Sugar, brown 4 months Sugar nevers spoils
Granulated 2 years
Confectioners 18 months
Sugar substitutes 2 years
Syrup, pancake, maple & other flavors 12 months 12 months
Tapioca 12 months 12 months
Tea, bags 18 months 12 months
Loose 2 years 6-12 months
Instant 3 years 6-12 months
Toaster pastries, fruit filled 6 months Keep foil packets sealed
non-fruit fillings 9 months
Tomatoes, sun dried, packed in oil 12 months 6-12 months
packed in cellophane 9 months 3-6 months
Vinegar 2 years 12 months
Yeast, dry,
packets and jars Use-by date Refrigerate
open jars
Water, bottled 1-2 years 3 months
Worcestershire sauce 1 year 1 year

Answer 2

Ok. You cooked the product. Did you smell anything different? Probably not. Ate a few bites and it was sour. Oats dont go bad because it is just oats- a grain just like macaroni or spaghetti. It comes down to temperature variation. Grains have to be stored in a cool and dry place. Any chance of it coming in contact with any off elements and you run the danger of having bad oatmeal.

Answer 3

yes, opened a box of oatmeal I bought 13 months ago and cooked some and sugared it and was amazed at the sour taste-was blaming the brown sugar until I checked
Google- Am pleased I didn't throw out the sugar!
5/8/16

Answer 4

Yes, it can go bad. Not likely to make you sick, but doesn't taste very good. This is likely due to the fat that is present oxidizing.

Answer 5

It doesn't go bad in a dry container, but it can become stale.

Answer 6

It certainly can, before it is even packaged for sale. Has to be dried properly and sometimes a bad bit sneaks through.

Answer 7

Oatmeal can produce small worms and mold as well as rice. throw it out.

Answer 8

It can go stael just like cereal if you don't have it in an air tight container.

Answer 9

Yes. Even if it is sealed , it does have a life span of about a year.

Answer 10

Absolutely it can go bad. Weevils can emerge and give it a bitter taste.

Answer 11

It can get mold spores if it gets wet. It also can breed meal-y worms in it.