Can you get sick from eating expired jelly?

In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “can you get sick from eating expired jelly” and discuss the risks associated with the consumption of expired jelly and how to properly store jelly.

Can you get sick from eating expired jelly?

Yes, you can get sick from expired jelly if the jelly has been spoiled. However, if there are no signs of spoilage in the jelly, such as changes in the texture, color or smell, it is unlikely that you are getting sick from eating expired jelly. 

In general, food is safe to eat after its expiration date when properly handled and stored and demonstrates no abnormal characteristics of its sensory properties (1).

How can you get sick from eating expired jelly?

You can get sick from eating expired jelly as you eat a contaminated product. Although jelly contains a high concentration of sugar, which inhibits the development of most microorganisms, jelly is susceptible to contamination, especially by high osmotic stress tolerant yeasts and fungi (2).

These microorganisms are able to develop and grow in foods with a very low water activity. Zygosaccharomyces rouxii is the most common yeast found in high sugar foods, although others are also able to grow in products such as jams and syrups, including Z. bailii, Z. bisporus, Z. mellis, Schiz. pombe, Torulaspora delbrueckii, D. hansenii, and various Candida species.

The ingestion of contaminated jelly can lead to foodborne diseases. The common symptoms related to foodborne diseases are diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach cramping, and flu-like symptoms (4).

How to know that the expired jelly is spoiled?

To know if the expired jelly is spoiled, you should be able to identify the signs of spoilage in the jelly. The most common signs related to spoiled jelly are (2,3):

  • Formation of slime on the surface or biofilm
  • Generation of off-flavors and off-odors
  • Mold growth, noticeable by the formation of a visible mycelia on the surface of the product 
  • Phase separation with the formation of a liquid on the surface of the product
  • Gas production due to the fermentation of sugars and consequent swelling or bloating of package

What is the shelf life of jelly?

The shelf life of jelly depends on its ingredients, handling, storage conditions, and if it contains preservatives or not (2,3).

When unopened, jelly can be stored at room temperature for a period of 6 to 18 months. Once opened, the shelf life of jelly is reduced to 6 to 12 months in the fridge (5).

How to properly store jelly?

  1. You can store an unopened jar of jelly in a cool, dry, and dark place away from direct sunlight. You can store it in the cool dry part of your pantry or it is even good if you can store it in the refrigerator (6).
  2. You should always store the opened jar of jelly in the fridge.
  3. You should never open the jelly jar beforehand and should always close the lid immediately after scooping out some jelly. 
  4. You should never use a wet or dirty spoon to scoop out the jelly from its container (7).
  5. You should always use dry and clean cutlery to scoop out jelly.

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we answered the question “can you get sick from eating expired jelly” and discussed the risks associated with the consumption of expired jelly and how to properly store jelly.

Citations

  1. Food product dating. United States Department of Agriculture. 
  2. Fleet, Graham H. Yeast spoilage of foods and beverages. The yeasts. Elsevier, 2011. 53-63. 
  3. Thompson, Sterling. Microbiological spoilage of high-sugar products. Compendium of the microbiological spoilage of foods and beverages. 2009, 301-324. 
  4. Foodborne Illness and disease. United States Department of Agriculture 
  5. Foodkeeper. United States Department of Agriculture. 
  6. Van Laanen, Peggy. Safe home food storage. Texas Farmer Collection. 2002.
  7. Cleaning. Food Standards Agency. UK Government.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!