UK versus US expiration dates on diet sodas
I took a trip to the UK last week, and as an avid Coke Zero drinker, was surprised to find that my Coke Zero supposedly expired in March 2016 in most places I went.
Surprised, because in the US, diet sodas are typically dated 3-4 months from production, and actually do taste noticeably less sweet at that point (to the point that some brands of soda, including Coke Zero, are undrinkable for me if they're at the expiration date). March 2016, even assuming they were produced next door and stocked that day, was almost 6 months out, and considering about 75% of the sodas I found were that date (I did see some Jan and Dec, but almost all Mar) it sounds like they're dated at least six months out. But even the Dec dated sodas tasted fine (Which, if they were 3 months old, would start tasting off to me normally in the US).
Why is that? Does the UK have different regulations, or are there different formulas that explain it, or different storage, or ... something else? The base sweeteners were the same (Aspartame and Ace-K), though of course it's impossible to tell %s in the US so who knows if they're the same; and I think it all tasted differently there than in the US, so it's hard to say if there's more/less in there.
Best Answer
First of all, sweeteners like Aspartame lose their sweetening property over time, as you have noticed yourself. This is very strongly tied to the pH level they are in.
US and UK/EU coke (or any country) is different, but you usually only notice the difference if you have them available for direct comparison. Coca Cola issues licenses and the plant managers produce the coke, but they do have a certain bandwidth they can operate in - usually to cater to local issues, like component availability, price, water quality. You can even taste differences in different batches of the same production plant, if you have them available for direct comparison and if you have a trained taste.
So, the deviation of the pH level in the different products results in different best before dates. The US coke pH level deviates more from the optimal level for Aspartame than the UK coke, so the US coke has a shorter best before date.
Whether the different pH level is on purpose or a necessity: no idea.
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How do you read expiration dates on soft drinks?
To read the date, understand that:What happens if you drink diet soda after the expiration date?
In other words, anytime past these best-by dates, the soda shouldn't be harmful to consume, but it won't taste as good. That's because the soda will begin to lose some of its flavor as well as its carbonation even though it is sealed.How do companies determine expiration dates?
There's no blanket process for setting expiration dates. Instead, food manufacturers and retailers determine these dates as they see fit. They may take many factors into consideration. They'll think about the characteristics of the particular food as well as its packaging.Does diet Coke go bad?
Properly stored, unopened diet soft drinks will generally stay at best quality for about 3-6 months after the date on the package when stored in the fridge, although they will usually remain safe to drink after that.US vs UK Coca-Cola | Food Wars
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Answer 2
There are various possible reasons for different expiration dates in different markets:
- As mentioned, formulation might be different.
- Expected storage conditions (average temperature, or standard refrigerator temperatures with refrigerated goods) can be different regionally.
- Criteria for when a product is still considered palatable and/or of prime quality can be different with different audiences.
- Criteria when a product is considered unsafe or unfit for consumption can be differently defined by local law.
- The costs/consequences of a mistake in estimating shelf life (leading to an unsatisfied or harmed customer) are dependent on local markets and regulations, so different risk factors will be accepted.
- There could also be different legal standards on how a stated expiration date has to be scientifically proven.
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