Expiration of Calcium/VitD supplements

[LizardLady46]

How often should we be purchasing new supplements? There is no expiration date on the container, just a " sell by date". The product will lose potency over time I am just not sure when. What are you guys doing out there? Any thoughts? Its great to be educating all our owners about the use of these products but how much good are we doing if we are using the same container we started with 10 years ago?
I would appreciate any input.

[Susann]

Good question. I don't know if calcium loses potency....? Do minerals and such lose potency?
We need Norm for this one.... Brad might know....

[critterguy]

Calcium itself is a mineral so it will never degrade. However, the Vit D3 will oxidize over time.

To prolong shelf life keep supplement in the fridge and with as little air/moisture as possible. A good way to do this is to have a ziploc baggie with a couple weeks worth...when this is used, take your main container out of the fridge, let it thaw overnight, and then refill the ziploc(this prevents condensation from warm air hitting the cold powder).

I would definitely change supplements yearly, and 6 months is the safest bet. However, most dog food does come with Vit D3 added so I believe we have a bit more leeway than people feeding dusted insects.

[El Lobo]

Critterguy has covered the topic.

The shelf life of calcium carbonate is fairly indefinite. It is only the vitamin D that will deteriorate over time. D2 (ergocalciferol) has a much shorter shelf life than D3 (cholecalciferol) but a good reptile mix will only contain D3. I am currently taking D3 for myself and the label on the capsules has a three year expiry.

For storage an opaque container is preferred to stop light entering and keep below 30°C in a dry area to maximise the lifespan.

[Lea]

Shelf life for the solid form of vitamin D3 is around 36 months at room temp, below 15 degrees C. At 15 degrees and above it degrades, with shelf life shortened to 12 months and if kept above this, losses of up to 15% can occur. There are implications if kept near the hot end of your enclosure, meaning a gradual deterioration in the product over time.

[bluetonguerocks]

it's good to know, thanks for sharing