Does Swiss Miss Expire (Does It Go Bad?)
Love hot chocolate? Then you might already be familiar with Swiss Miss!
Swiss Miss packets can make delicious and rich hot chocolate within seconds. But can it go bad?
Does Swiss Miss expire? Yes. Swiss Miss contains dried milk (or dairy products) which means that it can lose its freshness and flavor or go bad just like any other food. Always check the back of the packaging for the expiration date and keep an eye out for nicks or damage on the packets too.
Read below to learn more about Swiss Miss, its products, its shelf life, and how to tell if they have gone bad!
What Is Swiss Miss?
Swiss Miss is one of the best ways to make an instant cup of hot chocolate. All you need is hot water (or milk) and a packet of your favorite Swiss Miss!
The brand has been around for more than 50 years and has been making its popular hot cocoa blend in a real dairy situated in Menomonie, Wisconsin.
Swiss Miss takes pride in producing superior quality milk, which it also supplies to local farms and companies!
The company initially started operations as a traditional dairy, but soon expanded into flavored milk.
In the 1950s the brand was able to strike a deal with airline companies where it was to sell its hot cocoa product to onboard passengers.
From there, Swiss Miss grew in popularity and the brand eventually entered the flavored dried-milk market — and the rest, as they say, is history!
What Is In Swiss Miss?
Swiss Miss sells several flavored powder products that are made from real milk and good-quality ingredients.
The company emphasizes not using artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. But perhaps its main selling point is its undeniable flavor and quality.
Swiss Miss blends produces high-quality and rich hot chocolate. The best thing about their product line is that they also offer various toppings too!
You can choose from a variety of toppings that include marshmallows, cinnamon toast crunch, lucky charms, unicorn marshmallows, and more.
But with all these added ingredients, can this dried mix go bad? The short answer to this is: yes, it can!
Remember when we mentioned Swiss Miss’s pride in their superior quality milk?
Well, they use a dried version of this milk in all their products. This allows them to retain quality and add a rich flavor — but it also makes their product susceptible to spoilage.
How Is Swiss Miss Packaged?
Even though Swiss Miss products are dehydrated, they can still go bad due to several reasons.
In most cases, manufacturers use different storage strategies to achieve a better shelf life.
Some brands might go for added preservatives while others may vacuum-seal their products to keep bacteria away.
Swiss Miss uses the holy trinity of storage best practices. Their products are:
- Vacuum-sealed.
- Dehydrated.
- Sealed in a protected film/packaging.
But even with all these precautions, the product can go bad simply because it is difficult to stabilize milk – in any form.
Sure, the product may not “spoil” in the traditional sense, but it will likely lose its flavor and quality, which is practically the same thing as it going bad!
Does this mean that it is safe to use Swiss Miss past its expiration date?
Not likely. Swiss Miss products are usually only good for about 6-12 months – and there is a lot that can go wrong during this time.
Important Storage Considerations
Since Swiss Miss products use real dried milk and don’t contain artificial preservatives, they have a slightly lower shelf life.
While you could easily use a packet of Swiss Miss within a year, it is always a good idea to check the packaging before use.
Swiss Miss products come in cardboard boxes with individual packets that contain all the ingredients.
Each packet is protected using a special film/coating that keeps the ingredients safe from environmental factors.
But this certainly doesn’t make them impervious to damage!
Crumbled or depressed packages can tear, which would make way for air – and of course, as you would imagine, air and milk don’t go well together.
In this particular case, the packets may only last a couple of days before they go bad. Similarly, other external factors like moisture and sunlight can also damage the protective film and can cause the cocoa to go bad.
Here is a chart showing the storage life of Swiss Miss in different scenarios:
Unopened Packet | Opened Packet | |
---|---|---|
Swiss Miss Packets | 6-12 months (as per expiration date) | Use within the same day |
Prepared Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate | (Too late — no going back now!) | Refrigerate within 2 hours — consume within 2 days |
Expiration Date — Use Before Vs Use By
As a general rule of thumb, please avoid using products that are past their expiration date.
Manufacturers usually use a “use before” or “best by” date on products.
The “Use Before” date is meant for products that have a low shelf life. This means that these products can grow dangerous bacteria and have the potential to make you sick if they go bad.
The “Use By” date is reserved for frozen or dehydrated food. This particular date is used to denote the freshness and quality of the product. Properly stored frozen food can remain edible indefinitely, but it can easily lose its flavor and texture.
In the case of Swiss Miss, these packets may outlast their expiration date, so long as they are kept properly. But please keep in mind that the product will lose its original quality and texture after its expiration date.
Since there is no way to tell the overall safety of a product, we recommend not using Swiss Miss packets that are past the expiration date, especially if they have been potentially damaged.
Even if the powder “looks” good, it might harbor dangerous bacteria that can potentially make you sick!
Keep in mind that cocoa powder itself may be able to last up to 1-2 years, but when mixed with milk solids and other dairy products, its shelf life can be considerably reduced.
Signs Of Spoilage
Here are some key signs of spoilage that you need to look out for when using a near-expiry or compromised Swiss Miss packet.
Color
Swiss Miss powder blends have a predominately dark or milk chocolate color — but you can also find some varieties that have added toppings like marshmallows or other colored ingredients.
Open the packet and pour out the contents into an empty cup. Inspect the powder for any color change. If you notice anything outside of what is described or shown on the package, then you will have to discard the contents.
Inspecting colorful toppings can prove to be difficult, but you can use other signs to determine the quality of the product.
Texture
Swiss Miss hot chocolate powder will have a free-flowing texture where each grain will be separated. If you notice any clumped-up pieces or firm masses with a certain stringiness to them, then this would indicate that the powder has spoiled.
It is also possible for you to overlook these subtle changes in the powder, but these signs should become very clear when you add hot water or milk.
Assess the texture of the prepared hot chocolate and look for irregular changes. If the hot chocolate has white spots and is particularly runnier, even with the right ratio of powder and milk, then this would mean that the product has gone bad.
Taste Test
This is the final test and is a guaranteed way of determining the quality of the product. If the stored packets don’t show the above signs, then you can proceed with tasting the hot chocolate.
Before consuming it, sip a little bit of the hot chocolate to detect oily or rancid flavors.
Swiss Miss products contain emulsifiers and other natural additives that help extend the quality and shelf life of the hot chocolate. If the packet has gone bad, then you might be able to notice a subtle or drastic change in flavor.
Rinse your mouth and discard the remaining hot chocolate and packets if you notice spoilage.
Related Questions
Swiss Miss may remain shelf-stable for up to a year, but it can go bad just like any other dairy product. Now that you know the conditions it can go bad in, here are some related questions.
Can you freeze Swiss Miss hot chocolate?
Yes, you can freeze prepared Swiss Miss hot chocolate to prolong its shelf life. We only recommend doing this for leftover hot chocolate.
Please keep in mind that you will need to store the hot chocolate in the fridge or freezer within two hours of preparing it.
Hot milk is susceptible to bacterial growth and can go bad within two hours at room temperature. Frozen hot chocolate can remain good for 1-2 weeks – while refrigerated hot chocolate must be consumed within 1-2 days.
Can you get sick from an expired Swiss Miss?
The best-case scenario with expired Swiss Miss is that it may not taste fresh, but a compromised packet can cause a lot of trouble.
If the packets are stored properly and left undisturbed until their expiry, then you could in theory still drink them – but damaged packets may likely lead to a lot of stomach problems.
As a general rule of thumb, just avoid drinking expired Swiss Miss!