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#292884 - 08/06/19 02:38 PM Re: Lifeboat Rations [Re: Russ]
M_a_x Offline
Veteran

Registered: 08/16/02
Posts: 1203
Loc: Germany
Originally Posted By: Russ
I pulled a can of beef stew out of the stock that was way past its expiration date. Tasted just fine and I had no ill effects. I added some dehydrated peas that are first rehydrated and then mixed in — easy pea-sy.


Canned food usually has a best before date not an expiration date. Some experts say it should be fine if the can did not bulge. In Germany there an initiative to tell people about that. The main goal is to prevent wasting perfectly fine food.
There are exceptions. If the food was not treated properly, botulinus bacteria may develop. That could get you before the best before date though. The gourmet food surströmming is only good after the can bulged.
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#292885 - 08/06/19 03:48 PM Re: Lifeboat Rations [Re: M_a_x]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
Surströmming” — now there’s an acquired taste wink

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#292888 - 08/06/19 04:59 PM Re: Lifeboat Rations [Re: Jeanette_Isabelle]
Doug_Ritter Offline

Pooh-Bah

Registered: 01/28/01
Posts: 2197
The Millennium bars are flavored and individually packaged versions of the SOS Food Lab rations. I use SOS rations in my kits as I found it the, to be best tasting. But, it's a very individualized thing and the suggestion to order different ones and choose what you like is good advice.
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#292891 - 08/07/19 02:09 AM Re: Lifeboat Rations [Re: M_a_x]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
Frankly, the best by/expired dates are a scam. I am positive they are intentionally short on the advice of attorneys and/or marketing types who are interested in boosting sales.

I would stay away from bulging or leaking cans, for obvious reasons. I have eaten food that was nine years beyond its expiry date. It tasted just fine, and there were no after effects, not even excessive gas.

A lot depends upon decent storage- typically in a place that is dark and cool.
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#292893 - 08/07/19 02:47 AM Re: Lifeboat Rations [Re: Jeanette_Isabelle]
Bingley Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 1576
Testing ahead of the emergency is always a good idea. It's not just for flavor. What if you do not have a stomach of iron like hikermor? Or maybe you're allergic to something in a particular meat stew? During an emergency, it would be bad to be weakened by a stomach problem that could have been avoided.

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#292895 - 08/07/19 06:39 AM Re: Lifeboat Rations [Re: Jeanette_Isabelle]
Phaedrus Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3148
Loc: Big Sky Country
A well made can will allow food to keep a century or more. The quality will decline with decades and decades but canned food is pretty sterile; it's pressure canned at temps up around 230 or more which kills virtually everything (pathogen-wise, that is). Modern processes include agitation which decreases the time needed to sterilize the contents. I expect that modern cans are probably more cheaply made, thinner and less durable than they were a few decades ago but I'd have no issues eating a 20 year can of food, provided it wasn't rusty or bulging.
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#292896 - 08/07/19 06:40 AM Re: Lifeboat Rations [Re: Jeanette_Isabelle]
Phaedrus Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3148
Loc: Big Sky Country
Retort pouches are less robust, of course. I'd try to eat those within a year or two of the best-by date (depending on storage conditions).
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#292897 - 08/07/19 02:37 PM Re: Lifeboat Rations [Re: hikermor]
M_a_x Offline
Veteran

Registered: 08/16/02
Posts: 1203
Loc: Germany
Expiration dates might be valid. Around here ground meat is pretty much the only item having one that I know of.
Best before is a different topic. After that date the product probably can be consumed without after effects. It might not taste as good as intended be the chef creating the dish. Around here food is required to have a best before by law (to protect the consumers). For some products like salt or dry pasta it may be save to consume them after the best before is a few centuries in the past.
Many people are not aware of the difference. In a safety meeting the speaker proudly gave us an example how he saved a coworker´s life. He made him throw a can of tuna in the garbage when it was two days beyond its best before (which was 5 years after production). The speaker wasn´t competent on the other topics of the meeting either.
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