PHOENIX (AZFamily) — This fall, the federal government is offering a new round of free COVID-19 tests, but many of the tests arriving in mailboxes appear to have expired.
A viewer sent On Your Side a photo of the tests she received at the beginning of October. On the box, she highlighted the printed expiration date, Jan. 23, 2024, about nine months ago. Though the printed expiration date is passed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the tests are still good to use.
According to the FDA, many over-the-counter tests have expiration dates that have been extended.
“Since it takes time for test manufacturers to perform stability testing, the FDA typically authorizes at-home COVID-19 tests with a shelf-life of about four to six months from the day the test was manufactured, based on initial study results, and it may be extended later as additional data is collected,” a spokesperson for the agency wrote in a statement. “Once the test manufacturer has more stability testing results, such as 12 or 18 months, the test manufacturer can contact the FDA to request that the FDA authorize a longer shelf-life.”
The FDA’s website has a list of extended expiration dates. The government acknowledges many of the tests being sent right now are getting close to the end of their shelf life, even with the extended expiration dates.
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