having had a good clean out of the panrty i had noticed a few cans that actually had expiry dates on that had way past, 1 i didnt ever really think cans expired, 2 how do you know if they are still good if they dont have expiry dates on as most dont?
alebix,
May 3, 11:17am
The only way is to ring the company and give them the product code on the can (if there is one) and they should be able to tell you.
Or write the date on the top when you buy it, and that way you use the old stuff first... . , i do this with our fruit and spag etc as it doesnt get used alot.
babytears,
May 3, 6:10pm
That really bugs me that cans of food don't have any dates on them...
ferita,
May 3, 6:16pm
Here ya go http://www.internet-grocer.net/how-long.htm
brianmac,
May 3, 6:47pm
Keep a mini white board on the insoode of your pantry door. List what cans of food you have and as you use them, cross it off- this way you know what you have, what needs replacing when you shop and you are rotating the cans on a fairly regular basis.
traceedwards,
May 3, 6:53pm
Look and smell
If the can is bulging or leaking, throw it out If the contents smell different to what they should, throw it out If the empty can has 'rust' spots on the inside, throw it out.
korbo,
May 3, 7:04pm
Watties have an 0800 number and most other manufactures do also. ring them, they will ask for a code and can usually tell you instantly what the date was.
mike.nz,
May 3, 7:25pm
Quite often the taste of tinned food degrades a bit after the expiry date, but I've never found a bad one (except when I lived in Italy - where the tins got bashed about a lot - and then the lids were bulging).
I usually ignore expiry dates, but do what traceedwards says.
indigojo,
May 3, 8:32pm
anything with a 2yr+ shelf life (like cans) doesn't legally need an expiry date. But I would image that they would be fine, as it is a pretty good seal. Don't use if the can is budging though, as this may be an indicator of bacterial growth within the can. My mum used to write the month/year of purchase on the cans to help with pantry rotation on shopping days...
elliehen,
Mar 29, 4:14pm
It's also a good idea to write the date opened on the lids of jars that you keep in the fridge, like chilli paste etc. It's easy for something to hang about in the back for months with its expiry date rubbed or obscured.
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