By Anonymous - 19/12/2013 22:49 - Australia - Kensington

Today, my mother decided to inform me that she doesn't believe canned food can have an expiry date and that the food is still okay to eat years after the 'supposed' expiry date. She's probably been cooking my dinner with expired food for over 17 years. FML
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Top comments

Welshite 39

Canned food is good for a long time after the expiration date. Just sayin'. Manufactures print the "best by" date, but that doesn't mean it's spoiled even months later.

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Comments

lsjjrepting 7

I have to comment here. I'm no expert on canned food, but (I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night) I watched a TV show/documentary on H2 called "Life After People" that said that canned foods that are kept in relatively stable temperatures under 100* F and are in a certain type of can are good for a very long time- up to 15-20 years.

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whatwhyhoo 10

Canned food never used to have dates on it. Manufacturers do it to sell more food. I agree with your Mom.

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skittyskatbrat 19

She is correct. Unless the can is pressurized or punctured, it's fine. The flavor might be off, it's BEST BY date reflects when it is no longer at its "peak" but you can eat canned peaches for 1812 if you so desire (except for the lead lining)!

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Evaah_fml 3

She's completely right. As long as it's airtight it's fine for consumption for up to 25 years. Expiry dates on canned foods only exist because the companies will sell more.

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goreajek 13

The expiry date doesn't matter. Food is still good for quite a bit after that date.

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walkingspastic 22

She's actually right so this whole FML is invalid.

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tukies 28

Canned food last forever. Don't worry too much on it. That's why people don't like to buy dented cans, because they shouldn't be eaten after the sell buy date.

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amisenho 11

Dented cans are a high-risk red flag that should be avoided, since the denting of the metal warps the can, allowing air, therefore pathogenic aerobic bacteria, to enter, not to mention the chemicals in the metal that can leak into the food. To be fair, though, if you cook your food until it reaches an internal temperature of 85°C (or, if you really want to be sure, 100°C), you shouldn't have to worry about hazardous bacteria in your food (pathogenic strains are incredibly weak competitors against beneficial microbes, in most cases). Byproducts that they produce, on the other hand, can be a potential hazard, depending on how long the can has been damaged (e.g., the botulism toxin sometimes found in honey, assuming the honey has been contaminated with C. botulinum). As a last resort, throw your hands up in the air and sterilize your food with an autoclave. It may taste bad, but at least you'd know nothing in it could possibly be alive (autoclaved kale is tasty with vinegar, by the way). On another note, your senses can give you a good idea of how well the food is keeping. If you're inspecting that 11-month-old sour cream that's been hanging out in the back of your fridge, and it smells like someone farted in it, you might want to toss it. The crawling pink thing on the rim of the container is a good indicator, too. When in doubt, throw it out!

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markusmay16 10

if she has, it sounds to me she might be right.

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ASBriere 8

I'm a marine and trust me when i say that I've eaten some over expired canned food. It's still good. It's just a legal issue to put the sell by it bedt by date.

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number_1son 1

I wouldn't worry too much, expiry dates on canned foods are fairly bogus. my father was a usda certified meat/food inspector and told us to only worry about dates on cans if the can started to swell or he can was YEARS past its date.

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