Does sugar expire?
By
Dr Tayse Ferreira F. Da Silveira PhD
| Reviewed by
Dr Tayse Ferreira F. Da Silveira PhD
The contents of this article are fact-based except otherwise stated within the article.
Author bio
Dr Tayse has extensive experience in Food Science, especially through studying the chemical composition and stability of foods, as well as their bioactive properties. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Tayse da Silveira´s Highlights:
- Lecturer at the State University of São Paulo (Unesp), Brazil, for Food Engineering students
- Post-doctorate in Food Science, with a one-year training period at Cirad – France.
- PhD in Food Science, with a one-year scholarship at the University of Reading/United Kingdom.
- Bachelor of Food Engineering at the Federal University of Pará, Brazil.
“Food Science is exciting because it touches our lives in such personal and intimate ways. Understanding food systems and gaining knowledge of how to manipulate them, helps society evolve as a whole” – Dr Tayse da Silveira.
Professional experience:
In her doctorate at the University of Campinas, Dr Tayse studied the effect of emergent preservation techniques, such as high-pressure processing, on the chemical and microbial properties of foods.
After completing her doctorate, Tayse da Silveira worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Pharmaceutical Science Department at the University of São Paulo (USP), with a one-year training at CIRAD, Montpellier, France.
During this period, Dr Tayse worked on the development and evaluation of innovative antioxidant molecules for the preservation of fatty food products.
Dr Tayse also taught in public and private universities in Brazil for Nutrition, Food Engineering, and Enology students, always on food science and food technology-related subjects, including microbiology, milk technology, and wine-making technology.
She has also been involved in a number of studies evaluating the chemical composition and bioactive properties of food products, with emphasis on the development of analytical techniques to achieve that.
Currently, Dr Tayse works at the Centro de Investigação de Montanha (MRC), Portugal. She continues to work on the study of the chemical composition of foods, with a focus on identifying and isolating molecules with potential for application as food ingredients.
In her research, she targets molecules able to provide health and nutritional improvement, and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties (natural food additives).
She regularly publishes in high-impact, specialized scientific journals in her field, and feels encouraged to expand her knowledge domain by doing new scientific partnerships.
Education
- 2017 – PhD in Food Science at the University of Campinas Brazil, with a one-year training period at the University of Reading/United Kingdom.
- 2013 – Master’s Degree in Food Science at the University of Campinas, Brazil.
- 2011 – Bachelor of Food Engineering at the Federal University of Pará, Brazil.
Relevant Published work
- Roschel GG, da Silveira TFF, Cajaíba LM, Ferrari RA, Castro IA. Combination of natural strategies to improve the oxidative stability of echium seed oil. Journal of Food Science. 2021;86(2):411-9.
- de Moraes MR, da Silveira TFF, Coutinho JP, Souza DS, Duarte MCT, Duarte RT, et al. Bioactivity of atemoya fruits and by-products. Food Bioscience. 2021;41:101036.
- Ferreira da Silveira TF, Laguerre M, Bourlieu-Lacanal C, Lecomte J, Durand E, Figueroa-Espinoza MC, et al. Impact of surfactant concentration and antioxidant mode of incorporation on the oxidative stability of oil-in-water nanoemulsions. LWT. 2021;141:110892.
- da Silveira TFF, Cajaíba LM, Valentin L, Baréa B, Villeneuve P, Castro IA. Effect of sinapic acid ester derivatives on the oxidative stability of omega-3 fatty acids rich oil-in-water emulsions. Food Chemistry. 2020;309:125586.
- Roschel GG, da Silveira TFF, Cajaiba LM, Castro IA. Combination of Hydrophilic or Lipophilic Natural Compounds to Improve the Oxidative Stability of Flaxseed Oil. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology. 2019;121(5):1800459.
- da Silveira TFF, Cristianini M, Kuhnle GG, Ribeiro AB, Filho JT, Godoy HT. Anthocyanins, non-anthocyanin phenolics, tocopherols and antioxidant capacity of açaí juice (Euterpe oleracea) as affected by high pressure processing and thermal pasteurization. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies. 2019;55:88-96.
- da Silveira TFF, de Souza TCL, Carvalho AV, Ribeiro AB, Kuhnle GGC, Godoy HT. White açaí juice (Euterpe oleracea): Phenolic composition by LC-ESI-MS/MS, antioxidant capacity and inhibition effect on the formation of colorectal cancer related compounds. Journal of Functional Foods. 2017;36:215-23.
You can view some of Dr Tayse´s work below and links to her professional profile:
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tayse-Ferreira?ev=hdr_xprf
Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=55901968900
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=l4zi0d8AAAAJ&hl=pt-PT
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayse-ferreira-a2311947/
Reviewer bio
Dr Tayse has extensive experience in Food Science, especially through studying the chemical composition and stability of foods, as well as their bioactive properties. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Tayse da Silveira´s Highlights:
- Lecturer at the State University of São Paulo (Unesp), Brazil, for Food Engineering students
- Post-doctorate in Food Science, with a one-year training period at Cirad – France.
- PhD in Food Science, with a one-year scholarship at the University of Reading/United Kingdom.
- Bachelor of Food Engineering at the Federal University of Pará, Brazil.
“Food Science is exciting because it touches our lives in such personal and intimate ways. Understanding food systems and gaining knowledge of how to manipulate them, helps society evolve as a whole” – Dr Tayse da Silveira.
Professional experience:
In her doctorate at the University of Campinas, Dr Tayse studied the effect of emergent preservation techniques, such as high-pressure processing, on the chemical and microbial properties of foods.
After completing her doctorate, Tayse da Silveira worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Pharmaceutical Science Department at the University of São Paulo (USP), with a one-year training at CIRAD, Montpellier, France.
During this period, Dr Tayse worked on the development and evaluation of innovative antioxidant molecules for the preservation of fatty food products.
Dr Tayse also taught in public and private universities in Brazil for Nutrition, Food Engineering, and Enology students, always on food science and food technology-related subjects, including microbiology, milk technology, and wine-making technology.
She has also been involved in a number of studies evaluating the chemical composition and bioactive properties of food products, with emphasis on the development of analytical techniques to achieve that.
Currently, Dr Tayse works at the Centro de Investigação de Montanha (MRC), Portugal. She continues to work on the study of the chemical composition of foods, with a focus on identifying and isolating molecules with potential for application as food ingredients.
In her research, she targets molecules able to provide health and nutritional improvement, and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties (natural food additives).
She regularly publishes in high-impact, specialized scientific journals in her field, and feels encouraged to expand her knowledge domain by doing new scientific partnerships.
Education
- 2017 – PhD in Food Science at the University of Campinas Brazil, with a one-year training period at the University of Reading/United Kingdom.
- 2013 – Master’s Degree in Food Science at the University of Campinas, Brazil.
- 2011 – Bachelor of Food Engineering at the Federal University of Pará, Brazil.
Relevant Published work
- Roschel GG, da Silveira TFF, Cajaíba LM, Ferrari RA, Castro IA. Combination of natural strategies to improve the oxidative stability of echium seed oil. Journal of Food Science. 2021;86(2):411-9.
- de Moraes MR, da Silveira TFF, Coutinho JP, Souza DS, Duarte MCT, Duarte RT, et al. Bioactivity of atemoya fruits and by-products. Food Bioscience. 2021;41:101036.
- Ferreira da Silveira TF, Laguerre M, Bourlieu-Lacanal C, Lecomte J, Durand E, Figueroa-Espinoza MC, et al. Impact of surfactant concentration and antioxidant mode of incorporation on the oxidative stability of oil-in-water nanoemulsions. LWT. 2021;141:110892.
- da Silveira TFF, Cajaíba LM, Valentin L, Baréa B, Villeneuve P, Castro IA. Effect of sinapic acid ester derivatives on the oxidative stability of omega-3 fatty acids rich oil-in-water emulsions. Food Chemistry. 2020;309:125586.
- Roschel GG, da Silveira TFF, Cajaiba LM, Castro IA. Combination of Hydrophilic or Lipophilic Natural Compounds to Improve the Oxidative Stability of Flaxseed Oil. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology. 2019;121(5):1800459.
- da Silveira TFF, Cristianini M, Kuhnle GG, Ribeiro AB, Filho JT, Godoy HT. Anthocyanins, non-anthocyanin phenolics, tocopherols and antioxidant capacity of açaí juice (Euterpe oleracea) as affected by high pressure processing and thermal pasteurization. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies. 2019;55:88-96.
- da Silveira TFF, de Souza TCL, Carvalho AV, Ribeiro AB, Kuhnle GGC, Godoy HT. White açaí juice (Euterpe oleracea): Phenolic composition by LC-ESI-MS/MS, antioxidant capacity and inhibition effect on the formation of colorectal cancer related compounds. Journal of Functional Foods. 2017;36:215-23.
You can view some of Dr Tayse´s work below and links to her professional profile:
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tayse-Ferreira?ev=hdr_xprf
Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=55901968900
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=l4zi0d8AAAAJ&hl=pt-PT
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayse-ferreira-a2311947/
In this short article, we will provide an answer to the question “Does sugar expire? we will also discuss the shelf life of sugar as well as the best ways of storing it.
Does sugar expire?
Sugar is one of those products that does not have an expiration date, falling into the category of non-perishable goods. Thus, it can last indefinitely if well stored.
Actually, sugar exerts a preservative power in foods because it is able to create an inhospitable environment for spoilage and harmful microorganisms.
The mechanism of inhibition of microorganisms by sugar is mainly by lowering the water activity of foods. This protective effect occurs because sugar binds surrounding water molecules, making them unavailable for microbial growth [1].
The long shelf life of sugars is because it rarely undergoes microbial spoilage if properly prepared, processed, and stored [2].
This is primarily due to the lack of sufficient moisture, which makes microorganisms unable to thrive in pure sugar environments [2].
On the other hand, many different types of sugar can be found in the market. Some of them may be more prone to spoilage than others.
A recent study highlighted brown sugar contains 8% of moisture and impurities, which is higher than refined and crystal sugars [3].
For this reason, brown sugar is more susceptible to the lumpy and eventual growth of certain species of fungi and bacteria, especially if incorrectly stored [3].
However, if improperly stored, all types of sugar can lose quality over time. For instance, if kept in high-humidity places exposed to air, sugar may clump and acquiring off-flavors.
Clump occurs because sugar is a hygroscopic material that attracts water molecules, binding to them. Moreover, sugar can absorb strong odors – even through plastic packaging [4].
Importantly, Jay and others [2] highlight that storing sugar in extremely high moisture conditions may favor the growth of microorganisms, such as some bacteria species.
Finally, poorly cleaned pantries or unprotected sugar packs can make sugar a target to insects and other plague attacks that will ruin its quality.
How long does sugar last?
Sugar may last indefinitely if properly stored, but sometimes manufacturers label a best-before date of 2 years for quality concerns such as lumpiness or hardening.
Past the best-before date, provided that it was well stored, sugar is still safe to consume.
How To Keep Sugar Safe?
Store sugar in a cool, clean, odor-free and dry place. Keeping sugar away from moisture is key to its safety and quality, as moisture pickup will contribute sharply to its degradation.
Storage containers should be opaque, airtight, and moisture/ odor-proof [4].
The fridge and the typical retail paper package for sugars are not suitable for long-term storage. Polyethylene bags, food-grade plastic buckets, glass canning jars, and cans are all suggested for dry sugar storage [4].
How to tell if sugar has gone bad?
Generally speaking, sugar will survive indefinitely provided it is stored correctly, but in certain instances, it may be necessary to discard it.
The presence of bugs or insects in the bag
At any sign of the presence of insects, rodents, or other plagues, for instance, by noticing spoilage of sugar packs, or strange bodies mixed with sugar, it is advisable to toss the product.
The sugar has a strange odor to it
Most of the time, this happens, because it picks up an odor from the surroundings. If such is the situation, feel free to toss it away for the sake of quality assurance.
Mold growth
It is not likely that microorganisms will develop in sugar unless they have been subjected to extremely inadequate storage conditions, and moisture has been absorbed from the environment. If you notice any mold in your sugar, it is better to discard it.
Caking
Often sugar becomes hard or lumpy due to moisture pickup. This can be undone by chopping lumps in a food processor. Unless you see any clear sign of spoilage (e.g. molds), caking is not harmful to your health.
Can I consume expired sugar?
You can consume expired sugar as long as it has been properly stored and shows no sign of spoilage.
Sugar is supposed to last endlessly, provided that it has been well stored and handled. The best-before date, if printed, is related to quality issues but not to safety [5].
Conclusion
In this short article, we provided an answer to the question “does sugar expire? we also discussed the shelf life of sugar as well as the best ways of storing it.
Citations
1. Man CMD. Technological functions of salt in food products. In: Kilcast D, Angus F, editors. Reducing Salt in Foods: Woodhead Publishing; 2007. p. 157-73.
2. Jay JM. Food – Microbiology. 6th Ed, Aspen Food Science, 2000
3. https://extension.usu.edu/preserve-the-harvest/research/storing-sugars
4. Andrade L de A, Medeiros SDS de, Borges MTMR. Avaliação das características físico-químicas do açúcar mascavo adicionado de açúcar bruto de alta polarização. Braz J Food Technol [Internet]. 2018;21:e2017199. Abstract in English.
