Does sugar go bad?

Question

The package of sugar cubes I use has an expiry date. Even 2 months after the expiry, I can't taste any difference. Does sugar actually go bad, and should I throw away sugar past its expiry?

Also, if it does go bad, are there any indications that it's gone bad?

(stored at room temp which varies from 20-40C)

What I've heard is that honey is the only food product that never breaks down- since it has such a large concentration of sugar I would assume that sugar itself might fall under the same classification, although it wasn't mentioned as such so I'm not sure — scrowler, Aug 18 '14 at 01:25
@scrowler not just the sugar (though it helps), but bee secretions that act as preservatives. And no, honey does go bad. It can get mouldy (though it's rare), and of course the sugar can crystalise out depending on storage conditions. — jwenting, Aug 18 '14 at 10:47

score 5 · Accepted Answer · edited Aug 18 '14 at 03:30

5

If by going bad you mean becoming unsuitable for consumption due to toxicity, sugar, when stored properly, does not go bad for at least a few years. By storing properly I mean storing it in conditions of low humidity, as it absorbs humidity (water) from the air. This property is called hygroscopy.

However, it may lose some of its mechanical properties, form "rocks", or even solidify into your sugar container.

Theoretically very wet sugar can get infested with mold, but I have not seen it happen.

edited Aug 18 '14 at 03:30

Cascabel

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answered Aug 17 '14 at 21:23

Mischa Arefiev

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What if stored improperly (say, 50-80%RH), will the mold be visible, or can it be harmful when invisible as well? – user87166 Aug 17 '14 at 21:25
Probably invisible, but you will definitely taste it. – Mischa Arefiev Aug 18 '14 at 05:34
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Your sugar is fine, especially at 50-80% RH – Mischa Arefiev Aug 18 '14 at 05:40
yes tastes odd when kept long – voddy Aug 18 '14 at 06:09

Does sugar go bad?

1 Answers1