Today supermarkets often hold promotions selling several bottles of beer for the price of one. Customers are happy to buy their favorite drink, but not every one of them pays attention to the shelf life of promotional beer, which is usually expired. So can expired beer be consumed without health hazard?
To drink or not to drink?
If the beer has expired, it doesn’t mean that it is spoiled. The date stamped on the label means that the manufacturer and the seller disclaim all responsibility for the risk of the buyer consuming expired beer. However, under conditions of improper storage, it can deteriorate before the expiration date indicated on the label. The expiration date of the beer can be determined only after opening the bottle - if its color, smell, taste and foam are correct, the drink can be consumed. Subject to proper storage conditions, beer can remain good for six months.
Canned and bottled expired beer with an expired shelf life of no more than a month is quite suitable for drinking.
However, supporters of an alternative point of view on expired beer argue that it is harmful in any case, since various pathogenic bacteria actively begin to multiply in it. In the process of interaction with the preservative and other additives contained in beer, they release toxic substances. These substances can provoke poisoning or create other serious health consequences - especially so-called live beer, which has a shelf life of one to two months.
Rules for drinking expired beer
Beer with a shelf life of six months usually contains preservatives that change their properties after the expiration date and can provoke body poisoning. However, the shelf life is not constant, so beer that is overdue from several days to a month is completely safe. If the delay is more than one month, the chances of poisoning are greatly increased.
It is necessary to determine the validity of beer by the beer itself, since labels are often forged or re-glued.
Expired, but not spoiled, beer can also be useful in some way. For example, it makes an excellent hair mask that makes hair thicker and shinier. With beer mixed with water in a 1: 1 ratio, you can wipe the leaves of indoor plants - this will give them a shine. Also, expired beer is used by sauna lovers, who dilute it with water and pour it on hot stones. Some gourmets marinate kebabs on expired beer or knead dough on it, and enthusiasts even make moonshine from beer.
