Do McDonald’s sauces expire in 2024? (Expiration dates + FAQ)

However, customers generally don’t use all of these sauces at once. Therefore, finding a year-old sauce packet in your glove compartment is not strange. To find out if these packets are safe to consume, keep reading!

Do McDonald’s sauces expire in 2024?

McDonald’s sauce packets eventually expire, starting in 2024. However, when stored properly, they can last a year or more in most cases. Some sauces last longer than others, depending on their ingredients. How you store the sauce will directly affect how long it lasts. Therefore, we do not recommend storing them in your car.

For more information on how long different sauces last, keep reading!

How long does it take for McDonald’s sweet and sour sauce to expire?

If the sauce has been refrigerated continuously, it usually stays good for about a year.

However, if you simply kept it in your glove aisle, its lifespan depends on temperature and conditions.

If you live in a more temperate environment, you can expect this sauce to last a few months. Additionally, places with a fairly even temperature will see these sauces last quite a long time.

But, if it’s particularly cold or hot, this sauce may not last long. If this sauce freezes, it usually doesn’t have the same texture after it thaws.

Therefore, it is not recommended to leave these sauce packets where they can freeze. With that, hot temperatures tend to be significantly better for these sauce packets.

For example, they don’t tend to spoil after a hot day. However, they won’t last that long. Additionally, high temperatures can cause them to explode.

For this reason, we also do not recommend keeping them in warmer areas.

How do you know if McDonald’s sauce is expired?

All McDonald‘s sauces eventually go bad. When they go bad, they will become inedible. Of course, we do not recommend consuming a sauce that has gone bad.

While this doesn’t necessarily make you sick, it’s entirely possible. However, determining if the sauce has gone bad can be a little more difficult.

Generally, you should notice differences in smell, consistency, and taste. If the sauce looks strange, it’s probably no longer good.

Also, if the sauce has not been refrigerated, we suggest you be more careful before eating it. Usually you’ll be able to tell by taste, if nothing else.

So try a little sauce before placing it on a sandwich; this will prevent you from ruining your sandwich with bad sauce.

How long do it take for different sauces to expire?

All sauces at McDonald’s have different longevity. Therefore, it is best to know the expiration date of all different sauces, as this will help you determine when a particular sauce goes bad.

That said, here is a table of all the sauces at McDonald’s and their corresponding expiration dates:

McDonald’s sauce	Expiration date
Ketchup	Two months – One year
barbecue sauce	Two months – One year
Mayonnaise	Two months – One year
Tartar sauce	Two months – One year
Creamy Ranch Sauce	Two months – One year
Sweet and sour sauce	One to two years
Spicy Buffalo Sauce	One to two years
Honey Mustard Sauce	Three to four years
My dear	Indefinite

Should you refrigerate McDonald’s sauces?

Preferably, you should store all McDonald’s sauces in the refrigerator. That said, cool temperatures will help just about any sauce last longer.

Also, putting sauces in the fridge often allows them to last until the end of their expiration period.

For this reason, if you want to keep the sauces fresh, put them in the refrigerator. Also, don’t just leave them in your car, as the temperature variation will cause the sauce to deteriorate more quickly.

Virtually all McDonald’s sauces do well when refrigerated. However, we do not recommend freezing them.

With this, freezing these sauces can change the texture and flavor of the food.

To learn more, you can also read our articles on sauces at McDonald’s, McDonald’s barbecue sauce and McDonald’s sweet and sour source.

Conclusion

McDonald’s sauces last a very long time. In fact, many will last for years before going bad. However, how you store them matters a lot.

They probably won’t last very long if you just leave the sauces in your car.

For this reason, we highly recommend storing these packets in a cold place, such as your refrigerator, as this storage option will help them last much longer.

However, if you find an old package in your car, you may need to be careful before eating it. Often you will notice that the sauce is bad due to a change in texture, color or flavor.