like lots of folks I have a gray metal shelf in the basement filled
with canned foods.not so much for survival but bought on sale to stock up.in the early fall I was wondering why I had so many house flys down there and wrote it off to flys coming in as it got cold out.
wrong.getting a can out for dinner I freaked out when the can was stuck to the shelf!!.lots of stuff there and most hidden by the goods in front and I don't use canned food a lot so what was a nasty mess
was hidden from view.a can of ground meat that I got way to long ago for possible camping was forgotten and must of rotten and burst the can.the as i pulled the rest of the cans off i found a dry puddle of crud covered in dead maggots.....
i lost about half of my stock as they had rusted bottoms from sitting in the goop for weeks.in the summer i cook outside on the grill alot and we have fresh food so it was out of sight-out of mind.
i won't go into detale but i had to replace the wood shelf below also!

i walk by that self a few times a day when i'm at my work bench or
sorting camp gear and never thought to do a quick look-see at the storage,what could go wrong?
so if you have canned goods put away check them now!!!!

BTDT - Found some cans that were years past their best-by dates; but the cans were in good shape and the food itself was fine considering it’s canned food.

Hi
Was it a square can of meat?
With an easy open tab?
Not in a cardboard box of same cans ?
With stacks of other types of cans on top it?
Previously banged around in bag or backpack?

I still have some cans on a shelf in the basement marked Y2K! I'm not sure I dare eat them. Also on those shelves are a few of those blue box Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinners. Those will probably still taste the same as new...

it was a round "tub" shaped can and not soup can shape with no tab

opener.sold as cooked ground beef and from a company in my area,which is why i bought it.just out of the bag on on the shelf where it stayed.

from the label it was sold for camping and hunters as it had a outdoor type label with a deer on it.i have not seen in the store latey.
thinking about it maybe the wood shelf attracted damp and that
started the problem.i'll put shelf paper down.

if you have the space, it really helps to have access to the rear of your storage shelves... load from the rear, remove from the front...

that being said, I don't cook at home (I'm retired and single) other than an occasional sandwich, so my stored pull top cans make it through about 3 tropical storm seasons... I donate them about 6 months prior to the use by date to local food banks...I replenish when Publix has a BOGO sale, and for $25 I get a couple of weeks of fresh entrees

That's a great idea! My church and various other organizations I associate with often have canned food drives. And we always go out to the store to buy new stuff to donate. It makes sense to rotate those purchases through your personal stash first, before donating them (as long as they don't expire). Seems so obvious when someone points it out to you, yet I never implemented this simple process.