‘Be careful’: Walmart shopper says expiration date pushed back on bad International Delight coffee creamer

A TikToker is raising the alarm about expiration dates after buying bad coffee creamer, suggesting companies are artificially moving them forward to sell more products.

Zak (@cookupkobe) posted a video back in July after he purchased International Delight Caramel Macchiato Coffee Creamer from Walmart, only to discover it had already gone bad.

"Check it out," he told viewers, pouring the contents of the bottle into the sink. "Look how chunky this is."

The "best by" date marked on the bottle was Oct. 23, 2024. Zak's video was recorded and uploaded three months ahead of that, on July 19. It has since been viewed over 563,000 times.

@cookupkobe I absolutely love Walmart, but be careful what you buy from there. These dates are not right and companies are doing it to extend shelf life and sell more. ##walmart##badfood##viral##becareful ♬ original sound - Dats Zak

How long does coffee creamer last?

Coffee creamer is generally made to last longer than regular cream and can be stable for weeks or months before being opened. This is due partly to the fact that many of them are considered non-dairy products, including International Delight, which is made using a milk derivative called sodium caseinate.

However, there are no federal regulations surrounding expiration dates for food products in the U.S. And it's up to the companies that make them to decide what date goes on that label.

Zak believes some of those companies are acting in bad faith, focusing on their bottom line at the customer's expense.

"This is supposed to have a shelf life of Oct. 23. Even the almond milk—I purchased almond milk last month. It was the same thing," he says. "Companies are trying to maintain shelf life by putting inaccurate dates on supplies to make them last longer. Perishable items. I've been noticing this for the last couple months."

Why might coffee creamer go bad before its expiration date?

In the comments section of Zak's TikTok, viewers had their own theories as to what had gone wrong. 

"Things spoil fast at Walmart bc when customers don't want a refrigerated item it sits out until they put it back at night," @mzdylie27 wrote. 

Another person agreed, saying, "This is why I get my products from the back because people leave stuff out and no telling how long it's been sitting out before they put it back in the fridge."

It's a good point—and one that bulks up Zak's concern about buying products from "Walmart and big-name stores." International Delight's website also specifies that its products should always be kept refrigerated. 

It also notes that, once the creamer is open, it should be "consumed within 7-10 days."

In other words, the "best by" date is only valid prior to the product being opened, which is hardly a truth limited to coffee creamer. Some folks suggested this may have been the cause for Zak's creamer going bad. Although, it was unclear whether the product had been opened prior to the video being made.

Other shoppers are questioning expiration dates

But some viewers say they've had the same issues Zak has.

"Everything is spoiling faster- milk meat produce veggies I am now shopping for no more than 2 days at a time," wrote @mjizreal.

"I been noticing all milk products spoiling at least 5-10 days before expiration date, for almost a yr now," another admitted. "I've been having to throw away 1/2 gallons of milk 3-4 days after buying it."

"I just looked at some bread that I just bought a couple days ago. Good by date hasn't hit yet. It molded," said @joker.in.the.pack.

Zak's advice? "Check the kids' milk. Check your coffee cream before you just pour it. Pour a little bit down the drain," he urges.

The Daily Dot has reached out to Zak via email and International Delight via a website form.

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