Take the 2-minute tour ×  i have had a sealed container of white
sugar for about 5 years now, we have been using it slowly, but
is it safe/healthy to continue using it because of its age? or
should i replace it?  share|improve this question I think we can
more or less all agree that sugar has no shelf life, from the
biological point of view. However, I wonder if, when used in a
professional kitchen, there are regulations forcing one
(although I think that no professional kitchen will keep sugar
for such long time to have this issue anyway) –  Stefano Borini
Aug 16 '10 at 15:25 add comment  4 Answers  up vote 10 down vote
accepted  White sugar was commonly used as a preservative in the
past, in much the same way as salt. It's wildly hygroscopic
(like salt), and an excellent desiccant, so if you packed
something in it, it would accelerate the drying process. This is
actually the origin of fruit jam and fruit preserves, which are
still common today, even after better methods of preservation
are available.  Salt