With the many coffee creamer flavors available, it is possible to buy various types at once, even expired coffee creamers. Because of that, some people may ask, should I throw them away? And if not, if you consume them, will they make you sick? Let’s get wind of it.

Expired coffee creamer that has gone bad can make you sick. You may have food poisoning leading to stomach pains, bloating, vomiting, and nausea. However, if the creamer has reached the expiry date but is still not spoiled, there will be no harm if you consume it.

What Is a Coffee Creamer?

A coffee creamer refers to a rich, condensed cream that comes in either powdered or liquid form. Despite the name coffee creamer, you can use it even in hot chocolate, tea, and dessert making.

Furthermore, coffee creamers have various variations. They include dairy creamers, non-dairy creamers, and vegan versions. Basically, the dairy versions constitute milk, cream, corn syrup, and sugar. The non-dairy versions are a combination of vegetable oil, sugar, and water.

Adding coffee creamers to your coffee enhances its richness, taste, and texture. Therefore, you get to enjoy your coffee drink more. You can even opt to try out different flavors every time you take your drink. That way, you get to taste a variety and enjoy more.

Effects of Expired Coffee Creamer

Coffee creamers are generally sweet. However, if you consume them when they have spoiled, they become a source of food poisoning. Expired coffee creamers can cause stomach pains, bloating, vomiting and nausea. You may even start to have diarrheas.

However, you can still use expired coffee creamer if you do not observe any signs of it being spoiled. But don’t use it for too long after the stated expiry date.

To be on the safer side, you can run some safety tests on the coffee creamer. The purpose is to confirm if it is still safe for human consumption.

How To Find Out If Coffee Creamer Is Spoiled

It is pretty easy to tell if your coffee creamer is still in good shape or not. You can use your senses like smell, taste, look, and there you get the answers. So, let’s take a quick tour of how exactly you will tell if your coffee creamer is spoiled.

Look at the color of the creamer – You can tell if your coffee creamer has spoiled by just observing its appearance. If you notice any color changes, some molds growing, or insects in your coffee creamer, it is a sign something is wrong.

Smell the coffee creamer – Is there any strange odor in the coffee creamer? Is the smell acidic or sour? If your answer is yes, then your coffee creamer has spoiled. Dairy-based liquid creamers always have an acidic smell when they are unsafe for consumption.

However, with powdered creamers, it’s a challenge to tell if they have spoiled by sniffing. That’s because a majority don’t have a smell. But if you sense any unusual odor from them, throw the creamers away immediately.

Taste the coffee creamer – If you miss it on smell, tasting a small amount of the creamer will help determine whether it is good or bad. A change in taste and flavor means your coffee creamer is getting spoiled.

Texture difference – Liquid coffee creamers are smooth in texture and have a heavy cream look. So, if yours has clumps or lumps, discard it right away.

Expiry date – Even before you buy the coffee creamer of choice, you have to check the expiry date. That way, you avoid purchasing a creamer that expires so soon.

Even so, you can’t depend on expiry dates too much. Many factors can affect the longevity of your creamer. They include packaging, delivery, and storage of your coffee creamer.

The Shelf Life of Coffee Creamers

Coffee creamers spoil at some point. Thus, you might be wondering how long they last before that happens. It depends on the brand you are using. But again, the storing method affects the shelf life too.

Generally, powdered coffee creamers last longer than other options. They can stay up to3-6 months past the expiry date. However, I advise you to finish the coffee creamer 2-3 months after opening it. Refrigeration is unnecessary with this one.

Mini cup liquid creamers also last longer, but not more than powdered coffee creamers. These cups’ shelf life is a month. However, to avoid contamination issues, you need to utilize each cup wholly after opening.

Unopened dairy creamers can stay up to 2 weeks after the expiry date. Though, store them in the refrigerator. If you open the coffee creamer, use it within one week. After 7-8 days, discard it.

How To Store Your Coffee Creamers Properly

The way you store the coffee creamers dictates how long they will last. Besides, every creamer type has its storage method. Allow me to guide you through the storing techniques for the three creamer types; powdered, liquid, and mini cups coffee creamers.

Powdered Coffee Creamers

They last longest than all others. You can store them in any place that is dry, cool, and away from direct heat and sunlight. Your kitchen cupboard or pantry does a better job in keeping these creamers.

Remember to close the lid tightly after opening. That’s because coffee creamers have sugars that can attract insects and ants.

Liquid Creamers

They include both non-dairy and dairy creamers. Store them in the refrigerator at a particular temperature. That’s because the creamers contain ingredients like milk, oil, cream, and artificial flavorings. These ingredients spoil fast if the temperatures are unfavorable.

However, if you got the liquid creamer from the shelf when shopping, store it in the pantry or any other cool place in your house.

Mini Creamer Cups

Mini creamer cups are shelf-stable single servings. You can keep them in the cupboard or the refrigerator. Either way, ensure that you store them away from direct sunlight.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion

Coffee creamers offer you a convenient way of preparing your favorite coffee drink. Again, you get to taste a wide range of appealing flavors. However, you need to be conscious when dealing with expired coffee creamers to avoid any health effects.