# can foods last?



## ghostman (Dec 11, 2014)

How long do canned goods last past their expiration date?


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

I think you will find that is a best used by date rather then an expiration date.


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## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)

Good question! I had a Campbell's soup use by 2007 a few months ago and it was fine! I have heard cans that open with an opener vs pull tab last much longer?? Anyone
care to chime in there? I go by if it still looks good and smells good then cook it and eat it and I don't pay much attention to the date.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Ditto. I think they put that on the can for liability reasons, or maybe so we'll throw out old and buy new.


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## Prepp(g)er (Feb 18, 2014)

Most cans will last almost forever if undamaged. i saw a show on tv where they opened a can of meat from ww2. apparently still tasted fine. even the lab said it was ok to eat. i myself ate a can of baked beans that was almost 5y past the expiration date. out of curiousity. no difference from a "fresh" one


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

Yea, if it don't smell funny and it's not moving I will eat it. Hot sauce fixes anything that may have lost a little taste.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Last year I cleared out canned goods all purchased pre 2004. Tomato products I tossed out. Everything else was good including cans of evaporated milk.


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

I have eaten 20 yr old C rations that were 20 years old with no problem. Check the cans for any bulging or rust spots, and smell the contents for any hint of foul odors, and it should be okay.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Hormel says it best...Hormel | FAQs

CAN I SERVE A CANNED PRODUCT BEYOND ITS "BEST BY" DATE?
HORMEL® canned items should be consumed by the date printed on the container for best quality, flavor and freshness. After this time, the product should be safe to use as long as the can has not been compromised (no dents, split seams or other container damage).


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

canned food will be good almost forever.. as long as they are stored in a cool dry area and not frozen and thawed..etc


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Two of the tomato sauce cans were swollen which is the reason I tossed all of them out.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Just last year I ate meatless spaghetti sauce packed in glass that was put up for Y2K. The spaghetti was in plastic boxes with a little bay leaf to deter the critters. Both were A-Okay.

P.S. I have read that acidic foods last the longest.


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## Big Country1 (Feb 10, 2014)

"Expiration" dates are rarely found on canned food.
Canned food retains its safety and nutritional value well beyond its "Best By" date, but it may have some variation in quality, such as a change of color and texture. Rust or dents do not affect the contents of the can as long as the can does not leak. If the can is leaking, or if the ends are bulged, the food should not be used. Canning is a high-heat process that renders the food commercially sterile. Food safety is not an issue in products kept on the shelf or in the pantry for long periods of time. Canned food has an almost indefinite shelf life at moderate temperatures (75° Fahrenheit and below). There has been canned food as old as 100 years that has been found, in sunken ships and it is still microbiologically safe! I don't recommend keeping canned food for 100 years, but if the can is intact, it is edible.


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## Patty Hahne (Apr 16, 2015)

I think we'd all be surprised how little the "use by" date would mean to us if we ever found ourselves hungry enough.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

My old neighbors children were a "bit" finicky when it came to eating. I agree with Patty, when you are hungry enough or have been while growing up, you'd be surprised what you'll eat. But I do remember a can of Chef Boy R D that really went down hard, didn't get sick tho.


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

Depends on the food.
Fruits and such will last less than others.


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## graynomad (Nov 21, 2014)

My Dad was given canned beef in WW2 when fighting in north Africa, it was canned for the soldiers in WW1, but quite edible.

I went looking at cans the other day and almost without exception there isn't even a use/best by date, so given this and all the above posts I think it's fair to say that in general canned food will last forever, or near enough to forever for our purposes.


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## PatriotFlamethrower (Jan 10, 2015)

We are rotating our older stock out right now.

I ate a 2010 can of Spaghettio's with meatballs, and they tasted just fine.

As other people have already stated, if the can is not compromised in some way...........bulging, dents, corrosion, etc..............and if the canned goods are stored in a climate controlled area, the "expiration" date for canned food is almost limitless.

One big thing to keep in mind is anything that is tomato-based. Tomatoes are acidic, so over extended periods of time, some canned tomato products can actually compromise the cans from the inside-out. The person who talked about bulging cans that contained tomatoes, did the right thing by throwing them out.


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## alterego (Jan 27, 2013)

ghostman said:


> How long do canned goods last past their expiration date?


When I am forced into cooking we have what I call a prepper supper. Last week we had green beans from 2008 fruit cocktail from 2010 and dad ham from 2013 along with white rice that was 2010 as a guess. I have ate 10 year old stuff in the past with no issues. I am better at cycling in and out now.


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## Prepp(g)er (Feb 18, 2014)

sideKahr said:


> Just last year I ate meatless spaghetti sauce packed in glass that was put up for Y2K. The spaghetti was in plastic boxes with a little bay leaf to deter the critters. Both were A-Okay.
> 
> P.S. I have read that acidic foods last the longest.


acidic foods do last long, as high acid content doesnt allow bacteria to grow. only problem is that acidic foods, such as pineapples can corrode the inside of the cans. trust me, that metal taste is one of the most disgusting flavours you'll even come across :frown:


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## SGT E (Feb 25, 2015)

I just bought a dozen cans of Salmon with best used by dates of FEB 2020...some were 2017 in the store...some 2019.....I just got the longest dated stuff.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

I always have to give this WARNING... be careful with canned sardines - you can not tell by the smell if they are good or bad


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

They unearthed canned goods from a sunken ferry in the Mo river from the 1850s, the food was still edible.

I would not trash even old stuff in case SHTF, unless the cans are damaged/bulging, or I'm out of storage space. Same for my home canned goods.


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