Should I eat this?, vegan edition.

February 25, 2016 5:52 PM

Yesterday morning I opened a brand-new carton of So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Beverage, had some with my cereal, and promptly left the carton on the kitchen counter for about twelve hours. When I got home and discovered my error, I immediately put it in the refrigerator again.

Possibly relevant information: according to the carton (which is one of those aseptic tetrapak thingies), the expiration date before opening is April 2017, and the recommendation is to use the contents within 7-10 days of opening. The unopened carton had been stored in the refrigerator for about a week. The room's temperature was probably somewhere between 60-70 all day thanks to my Oakland microclimate of perfect weather bliss, though I wasn't home to confirm that.

My deep and abiding hatred of wasting food makes me want very much to pretend this never happened and use it anyway, but my judgement about these things is often clouded by said hatred and my knowledge of actual food safety standards is minimal at best.

posted by jesourie to Food & Drink (12 answers total)

I would drink it.
posted by Karaage at 5:56 PM on February 25, 2016

Yeah there's nothing but plant matter in that. I would drink it.
posted by jessamyn at 5:58 PM on February 25, 2016

Sometimes I think our coconut milk cartons spend more time on the counter than in the fridge. I think you will be fine.
posted by mittens at 6:05 PM on February 25, 2016

I'd drink it. I live in SF so I know from those room temps.
posted by rtha at 6:31 PM on February 25, 2016

Having recently experienced So Delicious Coconut Milk that had gone off, I would drink it as long as the smell and consistency were still the same as when you opened it. Once it turns it gets thicker and smells fermented, so maybe try to finish it off soon.
posted by siouxsiesmith at 6:34 PM on February 25, 2016 [1 favorite]

Also, the lauric acid in coconut milk gives it antibacterial properties, if that gives you any peace of mind.
posted by siouxsiesmith at 6:38 PM on February 25, 2016

My contradictory answer is that it is almost certainly perfectly safe, but I wouldn't drink it myself. Probably the worst outcome is that it might have started to ferment a tad, but I'd still err on the side of caution and pour it out with some regrets and resolve to do better the next time.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:52 PM on February 25, 2016

I would drink a spoonful and if it tasted okay drink the rest. I have done this with plant milks.
posted by Frowner at 7:01 PM on February 25, 2016 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Nobody who has died from this will be posting here. They are all probably on reddit.
posted by srboisvert at 7:08 PM on February 25, 2016 [19 favorites]

I have forgotten to put So Delicious creamer back in the fridge after my morning coffee so many damn times, yeah I would drink it.
posted by Lorin at 7:28 PM on February 25, 2016

The drink is vegetable-based, probably heated during production, pasteurized, and kept in a tetrapak. These all reduce the risks. I would definitely drink it.
posted by beerbajay at 5:19 AM on February 27, 2016

Response by poster: I drank it and lived to tell the tale. Thanks all for your reassurances!
posted by jesourie at 7:14 PM on March 19, 2016