Green powders are a potent, well-researched type of supplement taking the health and wellbeing world by storm. For years, the green powder market has been growing exponentially and continues to do so, for obvious reasons.
Green powders not only provide the consumer with an array of essential vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients needed to keep the body in a good level of daily health, but they also help to detox the body, boost the immune system, support the digestive system and increase energy levels.
Although green powders are to be consumed alongside a healthy, balanced diet where you receive a wide selection of fruits and vegetables, green powders are praised for supplying people with a quick and easy micronutrient dose.
Unlike fresh vegetables, green powders keep for a long time, but the longevity of them is up for debate. So, in this article, we’re going to give you the lowdown on whether green powders expire, and if you can still consume them after expiry.
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The shelf life of a product is different from the expiry date, and shelf life means how long the quality of the product stays the same. The expiry date of a product means the date after which is listed, the product isn’t recommended to be consumed.
Although each green powder is different, as it contains an array of different ingredients and is formulated differently, most green powders have a shelf life of around 2-3 years.
The exact expiry date of the green powder you are consuming will be shown on the tub or bottle of formula, so check here on your tub to see it.
Green powders should be stored in a cool, dry space until opened.
Once opened, to retain potency and flavor, the green powder should be placed and kept in the fridge.
Although fresh food should never be consumed after the expiry date, green powders are a little different. It is generally safe to consume green powders after the expiry date.
However, you should only consume green powders after the expiry date if the color, smell, and taste of the powder are the same as they were before expiry. Generally, you should only consume green powders up to 3-6 months after expiry, to be on the safe side. After that time period, throw it away.
You may also be interested in: Our Recommended Greens Powder
When consuming expired green powder, you may notice the potency has decreased and therefore you aren’t receiving the same amount of health benefits as before. This is normal, but it’s also a great reason to purchase a new tub of formula!
Green powders can be consumed after the expiration date as long as it looks, smells, and tastes the same as before. However, with a shelf life as long as up to 3 years, you have to wonder why you’ve left it so long before consuming this formula.
It’s probably just best to purchase a new formula and make sure you use it within the shelf-life period!
Our Recommended Greens
Among the best in green superfood powders is SuperGreen TONIK.
Its amazing how this supplement combines organic greens, brain and immune nutrients, all in one easy, great tasting drink. Plus, you get all the vitamin and mineral you need each day.
Author Profile
- Hi, my name is Sandra! I am the main author and reviewer of Super Greens Expert. I am a keen juicer as I was want to get all my daily veggies. Having found super greens I now use one such supplement daily.
Hello Sandra
Found your info very helpful, my reason for enquiring i found 2 bags of unopened wheat grass expiration date 2015, also 1 bag of unopened chia seeds date 2016 as I bought from a reputable company i thought they might be still OK. I have moved house hence the oversight.
Hi Brenda,
I would probably not risk taking these powders as they’re most likely out of date.
Sanda
My mother gave me a container of unopened Green Vibrance a couple days ago. I want to use the green powder but i noticed on the bottom it says the expiry date is back in 2019. It looks and smells normal (im a frequent green powder user) but i still have my doubts. In your article its mentioned that theyre can be a several year shelf life But you also mentioned 3 to 6 months after the expiry date which left me a bit confused. Should i go for it or no?
Hi Akeem,
We would not suggest taking it as it’s out of date by over a year. Will need to get some more or look at alternatives.
Sandra
It’s fine. I have a small tub of Bare Organics wheatgrass powder I’ve kept stored as instructed and I find it every couple months and use a little then put it back in the cabinet and forget about it again for a few months… and it’s always just fine. It’s Exp date was 07/2020. I also have the Noni Fruit which I haven’t even opened yet. And it looks fine I’m sure it is. It’s dehydrated, stored in a tight container dark place, no moisture exposure. I’m in Vegas so it’s dry af here and keeps dehydrated foods from ever going bad. Keep in mind, moisture is the culprit for ruining foods like this or anything for that matter.
I have the It Works Super Greens berry flavored in packets. The expiration date is late 2019. I opened one and it still smells the same. Can I still take the ones I haven’t used?
Thanks
Hi,
It looks like it’s expired a long time ago and so would suggest you don’t consume this.
Take care
Hi. I have an unopened 0.66 lb (330g) plastic jar of Nature’s Plus Organic “Ultra Juice” Green Powder, “Best by 02/2020”. It doesn’t say “Use before” or “Expires”. Again, it’s still sealed. I guess I never got around to trying this (new to me) product. I’d kinda like to add it to my diet. Not really interested in repurchasing this “just wanna try it” supplement as long as it is likely
-Safe
-Not completely useless or without potency
Of course I’d also only use it if it smells/ looks/ tastes AOK, although of course I’d have no previous experience with the product (or any memory of other similar “green powders” I may have ever used in the past) to use as a litmus. But it seems to me that an unopened tub of this, never exposed to any extreme heat or whatnot, would be worth checking out, as I really don’t want to spend $26 all over again for a product that was sort of just an ‘extra’ supplement idea. What should I use as criteria? (Other than “tastes like sawdust, toss” or “smells weird, throw it out” etc.). Again, it’s a best-by date [2/20] not an expiry date. And still sealed.
Any tips?
Thanks!
We would suggest not consuming as the usual advice is to consume within 2-3 years of manufacturing date. Clearly, this is over the limit and so the potency is likely to be really low.
Hi!
My greens plus expired 12/21. I intend on using the rest over the next 2 months. Seems the same as when purchased so would you agree it’s still safe being a month past expiry?
Hey Erin,
We would suggest being cautious as at best the greens may not be as potent as when first manufactured.
Sandra
I have a 9.8 oz container of Country Farms Super Greens (Raw Super Food Blend) with an expiry date of 12/19. When I purchased it, it was put in the pantry and other food items were set in front of it. The seal underneath the lid has never been broken. Is this still safe for consumption? I was thinking about adding it to my dog’s food as well as using it myself. Thank you
Hi Ruth,
We would not suggest consuming this tub if it’s over two years out of date. At best the potency of the ingredients will be very degraded and in the worse case scenario the ingredients will have gone bad.
Karen
Hello! I’m trying to find the expiration date on the tub of Opti-Greens 50. The only date I see is on the bottom, Lot 12Jan22. Is that the expiration date?
Hey Gina,
This is normally the manuafacturer date and so should be fine for up to 2-years from this date. If in doubt, you can always reach out to Opti-Greens directly.
Have a great day!
I have a container of skinny greens expiration date June 2022 never been open never been unsealed Can I still use this it’s only out of date two months and never been opened
I have an unopened jar of barley green powder with the exp date of 12/21 so it’s a yr old. Is it still safe to take?
Hi Liz,
You can often smell if the powder has gone bad, but I would urge of the side of caution and not consume if out of date.
Thanks
Hey! I was wondering about my teami greens superfood blend. The date of expiration is this month (12/22) and normally I would assume it would be ok… but when opening, even though it smells the same, there’s a lighter color green layer on top instead of the vibrant green throughout. On the sides (where extra powder gets stuck to the container, separate from the actual volume/entirety) is almost a brown/green color powder near the top. Should i throw this away, or should I just mix it up and use it? It’s honestly just a thin layer of lighter green, but im not sure either way. Considering it goes bad this month, and I’ve seen some articles say it’s ok to use beyond its date, I want sure of this discoloration was just from the top layer being affected by opening, humidity, etc…or if it was a type of mold. It does have spirulina, wheatgrass & matcha and I’m not aware of how those ingredients go bad.
I would probably not consume if you have doubts and it sounds like the powder may have gone bad. The use by date will depend on how it is stored and if not in a cool or cold place then may have gone bad.