Forum Topic

Do tins of food REALLY get outdated?

Just dug out a tin of carrots from the back of my larder.  Best before 2014.   Do I have to throw them - I'm sure my granny would have happily used them, since nothing was ever dated back then. 

Micki Hawkes ● 2437d20 Comments

Throw them out, not worth risking being ill.

Janice Evans ● 2437d

MH > "Do I have to throw them"They should be fine as long as the can is intact. Do not use  if the can is leaking, bulging or showing any other sign that it is compromised. Good luck!

John Whitworth ● 2437d

That is a Best Before date - not a Use By date.  I agree with John here although it is always better if things are nearer to the Best Before date.  After the Best Before date they may not taste as good as they would before.  Inspect the packaging.Eggs are the eggception.  You can use them a little past their date but cook them thoroughly eg bake a cake.  There is a method for telling how fresh they are by placing them in water.  You'll know a bad egg if you crack one!

Philippa Bond ● 2437d

They advise you eat within 2 years of best before date, this is 6 years old.

Janice Evans ● 2437d

Just open the can and check the contents - presumably you are going to heat them up before attempting to eat them?You will soon know if they are edible.I opened a forgotten plastic bottle of Daddies sauce a few weeks ago - it was dated 2011 and was perfect. We are still using it and we have not died yet. I expect spicy things last better but tinned things last years beyond the bb/use by dates as long as the tin is in perfect condition and not bulging.

Delilah Hall ● 2437d

https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/best-before-and-use-by-dates

Philippa Bond ● 2437d

Can't you balance them up with a tin of peas with best before way into the future. Then you can work out an average ;-)

Andrew Craig ● 2437d

MH, what's the tin of carrots worth? 60p?Not worth it, chuck them.

Jeffrey Cope ● 2437d

That is just not the point!

Philippa Bond ● 2437d

If it smells bad and looks bad, it is bad!  Otherwise provided the tin is not damaged in anyway or rusty, open, eat and hopefully live and enjoy!

Jennifer Selig ● 2437d

PB, it may not be the point. I assume your argument would be to avoid waste but really, is it worth the risk?

Jeffrey Cope ● 2436d

Maybe you should ask yourself if you would be happy to serve them to friends without telling them.That will answer your question.

Adrian Irving ● 2436d

That doesn't answer the question!  Tasting them yourself might put you off because they may be absolutely tasteless.There was discussion over whether the Best Before dates should be dispensed with as well as Sell By dates.  Sell By dates were just for the use of stores in organising the turnover of their stock but were misunderstood (and still are by many).https://www.approvedfood.co.uk/page?name=best-before-dates

Philippa Bond ● 2436d

Always eat absolutely fresh hummus however, Micki, and never from an old tin.  Otherwise the effect can be posthummus.Sorry, that was terrible.

Roger Talbot ● 2436d

Ha Ha.It is tough using up the things in the cupboard that you don't like or can't think how to use up.  I was bought a lot of sardines and have turned them all into sardines in tomato sauce with tomato paste.  I find them acceptable then on toast when mixed with some chopped spring onions and a grating of cheese on top.I also had some tinned salmon and with after frying together a chopped onion, a tin of tomatoes, a chopped sweet pepper and loads of halved black olives that is a success as a spaghetti sauce.  So we have had several of those.Not sure what to do with the crab meat or the anchovies because as you'll have realised I am not that keen on tinned fish! In the past I have had a row of tins nearing or out of date sitting in a row in the kitchen.  I have never eaten carrots from a tin.  I have had potatoes from a tin and didn't like them but I notice that they are something often requested by food banks but mixed with something else I guess I might find them palatable.  Life is too short to peel potatoes and I don't.

Philippa Bond ● 2435d

I don’t peel potatoes. I just give them a good scrub so there’s no waste.

Rima Jones ● 2435d

Are you going to open the tin and report on the contents?

Robin Cox ● 2435d

Slight change of subject but years ago paint and emulsion used to stay good for years in a well sealed tin, these days they develop mould why would that happen.

Janice Evans ● 2435d

Different additives?It is perfectly legal to sell food that it past its Best Before date and these are two of the businesses that specialise in doing just that:https://cheapfood.co.uk/https://www.approvedfood.co.uk/

Philippa Bond ● 2433d

I hope that when this virus has eventually passed people will think of giving some of the stuff they have bought to the food banks - it will make food management easier for those that donate!

Philippa Bond ● 2432d