Even with proper rotation of
your food storage items, there will be those items which manage to avoid your
best efforts. These items will slip by unnoticed until their expiration date
has expired. While most canned foods will be edible past their expiration date,
a little caution should be exercised before it’s consumed.
In the picture above is a
can of corn that had an expiration date of 01/10. The date is clearly visible
because Mrs. RW always marks the date in big letters so that it is easy to see.
Unfortunately, it managed to slip through our rotation.
Here are the steps that were
used to determine its viability for consumption.
Testing Canned Foods with Expired Date
1. Examine the can closely. It should not be rusted, dented or bulging. Any of
these signs could indicate the food inside the can may be unfit for
consumption.
2. Open the can and visually examine the contents. Look closely for signs that could indicate the food
is contaminated and may be unsafe to eat.
3. Smell the contents. If the contents smell bad, the food is most likely
unfit for consumption and needs to be discarded.
4. Taste a small portion. If the previous steps have given no indication that
the food item may be bad, taste a small portion. The taste and texture should
be similar to food items with a good expiration date.
5. Taste a larger portion. If
you experience no effects from a small portion, taste a larger portion and wait
a short time period to see if you still suffer no ill effects.
After taking these steps and
have confirmed its viability for consumption, you should then cook or prepare
the food item as you would normally. If your storage procedures have been
properly maintained, most canned food items will be viable beyond their stated
expiration date.
It is also important to
remember the old saying “When in doubt, throw it out!”
BTW, the entire can of corn
in the above picture was eaten with no ill effects.
Staying above the water
line!
Riverwalker
4 comments:
I was half way into a can of peaches that was four years past due. They were fine but will be a bit more aware next time.
To: One Fly
It's best to be careful my friend and use some form of "edibility test" to avoid a serious problem.
Even with a careful check, it's still possible to miss something and you could wind up getting sick if the food is bad.
Thanks One Fly.
RW
I wouldn't do a taste test prior to boiling the food for at least 20 minutes. At least you will have killed the botulism which can be deadly in very small doses.
To: anonymous 12:31
Commercially canned food items are required to undergo a "botulinum cook" at 121 °C (250 °F) for 3 minutes and rarely cause botulism if the can isn’t damaged, swollen or bulging.
If possible, it is recommended that the food item is cooked at 250 °F for at least 3 minutes if possible.
In a survival situation this may not always be possible and the standard "Food Edibility Test" should be used.
Thanks.
RW
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