When does bottled water go bad? Never, really
ANDREA PETERSEN
It's rough enough that the millions of Americans who buy bottled water are paying for something that used to be basically free. But even harder to stomach is the message that comes on the bottle: Like milk and eggs, water now "expires."
Most commercially produced water comes stamped with expiration dates. On most Poland Spring bottles, there are tiny, white letters advising consumers to drink up within two years. Most Aquafina bottles sport two-year expiration warnings on their caps. In general, the dates on bottled water include the prefix "EXP," meaning "expires." Fiji brand water has a slightly different approach: Its bottles say "Best by" followed by the date. Coca-Cola Inc. puts a one- year expiration date on its Dasani brand water.
But does water really spoil? Despite the labels reminding consumers to drink up, there is virtually no evidence that drinking water beyond the expiration date has any health effect at all. The Food and Drug Administration considers bottled water to have an "indefinite shelf life." Even the bottled water industry is hard- pressed to justify the labels.
"There's no real rationale," said Jane Lazgin, a spokeswoman for Nestle Waters North America Inc., a division of Nestle SA that bottles brands including Poland Spring and Ice Mountain, and imports European waters such as Perrier and Vittel. The practice "is not health-based," she said.
Palatine resident Andree Harring drinks at least three bottles of Kirkland Signature water each day. She has noticed the "sell by" dates on the bottles, but doesn't think they are necessary.
"I don't really put any credence into the dates, because how can water expire?" Harring asked. "Unless the container's breached, how could it go bad?"
Harring says it's doubtful she'd keep a bottle around long enough for it to expire -- one she sipped just the other day was dated Jan. 8, 2006 -- but she wouldn't worry if one were out of date. Harring hates the chlorine taste of tap water so much, she says, "There are times when I'd rather get dehydrated than drink the tap water."
Expiration dates are just one example of how shifting tastes and successful marketing have complicated what was once one of life's simpler acts -- drinking water. This year, for the first time, Americans are expected to buy more bottled water than beer or coffee. Sales of bottled water reached $7.7 billion in 2002, up 12 percent from 2001, according to Beverage Marketing Corp., a New York consulting company. Even dogs have bottled-water options -- K9 Water Co. makes chicken- and beef-flavored waters.
Store shelves are filled with everything from "spring water" and "artesian water" to "purified water" and "drinking water." The latter is often code for filtered tap water.
Some bottled water makers say they use expiration dates for taste, not health reasons. A Coca-Cola spokeswoman, Susan McDermott, says the company has done research on its Dasani brand showing that the taste of its bottled water changes after its one-year expiration date. But, she said: "It is probably not something the average person will notice."
To some degree, the fact that bottled water carries an expiration date can be blamed on New Jersey, the only state that requires it.
The industry says that, given the New Jersey law, it's easier -- and cheaper -- for companies to stamp dates on every bottle, whatever the destination.
Wall Street Journal with Stephanie Zimmermann contributing
Copyright The Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.
But just to throw gasoline on the fire, here's a post from arfcoms survival forum:Originally Posted By warlord:
(Warlord is taking about the plastic bottles that hold water)This food grade plastic, if there is any possibly of dangerous chemical leaching into the water the FDA would be all over it.
8unleashed answered him thus:Congratulations, you win this week's silly award. Contrary to what you have been taught by your public school education, the government is not Almighty God. And it's not there to protect you from harm, to do your own research for you, and to make your own decisions for you. The FDA has, for example, kept some of the most safe and useful medicines off the market, calling them dangerous, meanwhile touting medicines that kill tens of thousands, calling them safe. The FDA is subject to error, corruption, and politics just like any other organization. And just because it tells you the gun is unloaded doesn't mean you should pull the trigger without first checking for yourself.
All "food grade" means is "suitable for the food that goes in it." So the plastic they put water in is safe for the water they put in it. That's it.
Just because something is "food grade" does not mean the integrity of the plastic lasts forever, or that you can store whatever else you want in the empty container. You can buy dedicated water containers that will keep water indefinitely, but you can't store gas in them. There are all sorts of food grade plastics, and they are designed for specific things.
Just about everything is good past its expiration date -- the question is by how much. By putting a date on a product, a company is not telling you to pitch it when the date is up. An expiry date gives you the date at which the company can no longer guarantee the freshness and nutrition in the food -- or, in the case of water, the integrity of the plastic.
After something has expired, it is use at your own risk. It's common knowledge that plastic breaks down, especially under heat, and can contaminate food with dangerous chemicals. Water that TASTES like plastic would be my first warning not to drink it.
And, contrary to the logic of those who have said "I drank 15 year old water and then ate the plastic bottle it came in and hey, I'm still here," from what I understand, not all of the harmful effects turn up immediately, or are visibly noticeable at all. But that doesn't mean they aren't there.
They told us aluminum was good to cook in. Now they tell us it can kill you.
ETA:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2138565&page=1http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/126070/Are_plastic_bottles_harmful_.htmlRead the top link (ABC.com one) and then look at the bottom of your Nalgene bottle 
And the arfcom thread link is here.
