Expiration Date On Canned Goods Is Not Intended To Be Specific

I took a little time this weekend to clean my car inside and out, and that included the trunk. Came across a road emergency kit that's been back there for years (thankfully haven't needed it) but among the litany of emergency supplies were 2 forgotten cans of smoked salmon. Now, these cans had to be back there for a while, because the expiration date on the lids said 'expires 01/16/11'. However, the integrity of the cans looked good, so instead of throwing them out, I opened one up, gave it a try, and it smelled and tasted fine. But it made me wonder about the expiration date on canned goods and how accurate those dates really are.

Is an expiration date on canned goods just a ploy by the manufacturer to get you to throw cans out and buy new replacements? Or should expiration dates be adhered to? Well, according to the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) most canned goods like veggies, fish and meats will stay edible in the can for 2 to 5 years, depending on how the can is stored. If the can is not exposed to prolonged heat, and if the can is not leaking or bulging, the food inside should be safe to eat. If you open an outdated can, use the smell test. And if you're still not sure, call the manufacturer using the 800 number on the can, or throw it away.

An expiration date on canned goods indicates the peak quality of the contents

This simply means that the expiration date on canned goods indicates the approximate time when the food inside is at its best eating point. And though the quality of the food may deteriorate after this date, it should still be OK to eat for a while. But always watch for damage to the container. If the can is bulging, this indicates the food inside is contaminated with deadly botulism poisoning, so you'll want to throw that out. And don't put canned goods in the freezer. The cold could cause the can to expand, and perhaps break its seal, which would contaminate the food inside.

Expiration date on canned goods is not an expiration date at all

Just in case you're wondering, there is no standard method among manufacturers to code stamp, or date their products. It's up to the manufacturer to label their products with a product ID, not only with the date of expiration on their can products, but also with the day the product was packaged, and at which plant the packaging took place.

Hopefully, this will help alleviate any concerns you might have over an expiration date on canned goods. Even if the dates on your canned goods have expired, that's no reason to throw them out. When in doubt, just use your nose and your common sense to determine if they're OK for consumption or not. The expiration date on canned goods is there for a reason, but mainly as a general go-by. And stored properly, they should give you years of safe, stockpiled satisfaction.

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