Been donated a box of gels of varying ages. Most seemed to have a best before date of 2017! My girlfriend also found one in the stuff draw dating back to 2013.
We’re firmly of the opinions that gels are so full of sugar and highly processed they’re probably fine as long as the packet is intact. Maybe not the 2013 one though, that’s a museum piece.
What’s everyone else’s opinion, how old would you go?
I’d have zero issues on the 2017 ones - I’ve found some 5 year old ones from events and had no issues. What is there in a gel to actually go off? 
My old LBS found a 15year old gel and they were trying to figure out what to do with it. Being the troll I am, I ate it. It didn’t taste the best, but didn’t smell funky and I didn’t die.
yeah, if anything, wouldn’t it ferment? That might be a bonus!
My only concern would be if they ferment. I had several SIS gels where the package “bloated” and the gel smelled odd, so I dumped them.
No one told me gels were edible.
If things get a bit wobbly at the back of the pack you’ll know why!
If it’s still gel it’s good.
I had one that had to be over 10 years old. It was fine, just a bit grainy, like the sugar started to crystalize or something. I found some more old ones of that era and plan to eat them too
I just had a GU Roctane that was a couple of years expired. It was off colour, pretty grainy/crystallized and tasted off. No ill effects but probably wouldn’t have another just due to the taste.
