Guide to Supplement Expiration: What You Need to Know

Every time you clean out your medicine cabinet, you’re bound to find a dusty bottle of magnesium or vitamin D tablets that’s been hiding there since the dark ages. You check for an expiration date—and there often isn’t one. So, do supplements even expire? Are they still safe to take months or years later? Don’t worry, we’re here to clear things up! 

Yes, supplements do expire. They are not immortal—they get old, lose their potency and eventually become ineffective. While supplements are generally safe to take after they’ve expired…would you really want to? What other products would you eat after a year or more on the shelf? Like most things you put in your body, fresher is always better when it comes to supplements. But there’s more to supplement freshness than just an expiration date. You should also pay attention to a supplement’s manufacturing date and ingredients. Below, we’ll give you our fresh take on supplement shelf life, and we’ll give you some tips on how to keep your supplements from losing their edge. 

What You Need to Know about Supplement Expiration Dates

Supplements may not lose their shape or color over time, but that doesn’t mean they last forever. Most supplements have a shelf-life of 6 months to 2 years—and yes, they do expire. It’s generally accepted that most expired supplements won’t hurt you, but why take the chance? Supplements lose their potency over time, and expired products have likely lost nearly all of their health benefits. Some supplements can go rancid, such as liquid gels. Others can get moldy if exposed to humid conditions. These expired supplements can trigger allergic reactions or make you sick. So, when you take an expired supplement, you’re getting all the risk and no reward. It’s just not worth it. 

Liquid supplements may expire sooner than pills. They often need to be refrigerated after opening to prevent spoilage, but this isn’t always the case. You can keep Manna Liposomal Supplements in the fridge or on the shelf for up to 45 days after opening. Sealed Manna supplements last between 12 months to 2 years depending on which supplement you’re taking! If you want to double check the status of your supplement, you can always reach out to us with any questions.

Sure, our drinkable vitamins may not last as long as pills – but do you really want to take supplements that have been sitting around for years? Manna’s ingredients are highly biologically active as opposed to powders like those used in pills. Just like ripe fruits and veggies, our supplements don’t last as long as highly processed alternatives. 

When it comes to expired supplements, your best bet is to just toss them out. 

What if there’s no expiration date on my supplements?

It can be frustrating when supplements don’t have an expiration date listed on the package. Keep in mind the FDA does not require expiration dates to be listed on supplements, but they do require some form of identification for the date of manufacture and the lot number [1]. Many brands choose to not provide an expiration date because supplements may last shorter or longer in certain conditions, or before and after opening. For example,  Manna supplements last for up to 2 years on the shelf, but once opened we recommend finishing it within 45 days.

What’s the difference between an expiration date and a manufacturing date?

When you see a date listed on a supplement package, it’s easy to assume that it’s an expiration date. But more than often, it’s a manufacturing date (MFG date). What’s the difference? 

• Expiration date: After this date, a manufacturer no longer recommends using their product. It may be because the product is no longer as potent, flavorful or effective as it was before. Or, it may mean the product is no longer safe to consume. Supplement expiration dates usually indicate declining potency only. 
• Manufacturing date: This date indicates when a product was made. It’s like a product’s birth date. Supplements receive a manufacturing date on the day they are bottled and sealed. So, you can use the MFG date to find out how old your vitamins are. You’ll find an MFG date printed on every Manna Liposomal Supplement.  

How to Maximize Your Supplements’ Shelf Life

Expired supplements are bad news for both your well-being and your wallet. Here are a few tips on how to keep your vitamins fresher for longer. 

• Follow storage guidelines: You can almost always find storage instructions on a supplement’s label. Following those instructions is really important for maintaining the freshness and potency of the nutrients within. Make sure to read the label carefully for additional warnings and instructions. For example, sometimes light or heat exposure can make supplements go bad. 
• Take your supplements consistently: You should take most supplements daily to provide your body with the foundational nutrition it needs. Foundational nutrients are the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants your body requires to fuel its processes and fight off illness each day. If you only take supplements every once and a while, they won’t contribute to a strong foundation of health—and they’ll expire before you take them all. To encourage consistency, take your vitamins at the same time every day.      
• Drop us a line: Have any questions about supplement expiration dates, safety or bioavailability? Give us a call or send us an email here at Manna. Our friendly customer support staff is ready to answer any of your questions—even if you haven’t purchased a Manna supplement yet. Get in touch with us here. We can’t wait to chat!

How Manna Promotes Maximum Freshness and Potency

At Manna, we understand that it’s on us to ensure you get the freshest and most bioavailable supplements possible. That’s why we take a number of steps to make sure you receive your vitamins at their best.  

• No heat processing: Micronutrients are fragile, and excessive processing can ruin their nutritional value. For example, heat processing used in supplement manufacturing has been found to result in major nutrient losses [2]. We forego heat processing and rely on advanced manufacturing methods to ensure our nutrients stay fresh and biologically active.  
• Small batch production: Manna supplements get lonely sitting on shelves. That’s why we manufacture our vitamins in small quantities. We only produce in batch sizes based on our sales volume, so none of our supplements sit in the warehouse for months on end. This is so you get your vitamins as soon as possible after they leave the floor of our manufacturing facility in California.  
• Max. 30 servings per bottle: Once you crack the seal of a Manna supplement, it lasts for 45 days. That’s why we only include a maximum of 30 servings per bottle—a month of servings at a time. We want our customers to get their nutrients at peak bioavailability, and then we’ll send a fresh new bottle a month later. It’s easy with our subscription plan (and you get big discounts by subscribing!). 
• Biologically active formulas: Other supplement companies sell dried powders in capsules and compressed tablets. Manna’s liquid supplements are much more biologically active. Much like fresh and unpasteurized juice, the nutrients in each bottle constantly interact with each other. And thanks to our liposomal delivery system, they are up to 10x more bioavailable too.  
• High-quality ingredients: Manna supplements are made with high-quality, natural ingredients. You won’t find any fillers or artificial sweeteners here. We source our ingredients from materials that are as close to nature as possible to prevent denaturation and nutrient loss that results from heavy processing. Our nutritionists and food scientists carefully select each ingredient for its specific health benefits—and its cumulative benefits with other nutrients in the bottle (yep, our nutrients do double-time by working together!).  

Fresher Nutrients for Better Health

What’s healthier for you? Fresh produce, meat from the butcher and bread baked today…or processed food that sits for ages on the shelf? The first options might expire a lot faster, but they are also chock full of active and potent nutrition. The same goes for supplements. In most cases, a longer shelf life means less nutritional value. And expired supplements offer significantly fewer bioavailable nutrients. 

To get the most out of your supplements and avoid expiration, buy vitamins that were recently manufactured. And, take them consistently to prevent them from collecting retirement checks on your shelf. Finally, choose supplements with highly bioactive formulas, like Manna Liposomal Supplements. If you find supplements that have expired, toss them out and order a fresh batch. It’s not worth the risk!