News from CRIS: Expiring Products - Disinfectants & Medications

May 6, 2020

Did you know medications and even disinfecting products expire? In this post, the Center for Research on Ingredient Safety covers the basics around medication and disinfectant product expiration dates.

Are medications and disinfectants legally required to have an expiration date?

Yes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires all medications to have an expiration date.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires all disinfectants to publish expiration date information for all formulations that change significantly over time.

How do medications and disinfecting products expire? 

Unlike expired foods or cosmetics most shelf-stable medications (e.g., non-refrigerated pills) and disinfecting products do not expire because of an increase in microorganism growth, rather, the active ingredients in drugs and disinfectants begin to lose potency or degrade over time (1.2).

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Read the entire blog post at: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/expiring-products-disinfectants-medications