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Every kitchen has a cupboard or pantry designated for tinned food products, some of which remain untouched for years. Many canned ingredients don’t have an expiration date, but there are a few storage hacks people can use to ensure food is safe to eat “indefinitely”.<\/p>\n
Tuna, baked beans, and chopped tomatoes are some of the most common ingredients found tucked away at the back of the cupboard and are safe to eat more often than not.<\/p>\n
However, their impressive shelf life can be cut short if stored incorrectly – and could warrant the food unusable.<\/p>\n
To avoid this, food safety experts have shared the best solutions to ensure tinned goods never go off.<\/p>\n
According to Bryan Quoc Le, food consultant and author of 150 Food Science Questions Answered, the first rule of storing canned produce is to keep them in a “cool, dry place”.<\/p>\n
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While this may come as no surprise, signs of spoilage often go unnoticed by people who think their cupboard is a suitable spot for tins.<\/p>\n
The food expert explained that tins kept in warm, moist areas – like under the sink, above the stove, or in a damp basement are most at risk.<\/p>\n
Likewise, extremely cold temperatures can also render food unsafe to eat. This is because the tins can rupture, resulting in air pockets and rust.<\/p>\n
Guidelines by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) state that food should remain fit to eat if a can is shallowly dented, and there are no other obvious signs that the can is damaged.<\/p>\n
Don’t miss… <\/strong> However, if the denting is deep, the can may have a hidden split, hole or break in the seal – in which case, the food inside “should not be eaten”.<\/p>\n Signs of rust on the can also suggest that the food inside should not be consumed.<\/p>\n The FSA added: “You should avoid eating food from a visibly bulging can. If the can spurts when it is opened, this may be a result of gas buildup in the food and could be due to the presence and growth of microorganisms.<\/p>\n “These microorganisms can spoil the food and can make it unsafe.”<\/p>\n Fortunately, cans in good condition will remain safe to eat “indefinitely” when kept in a cool, dark, low-moisture environment, according to Bryan.<\/p>\n He said that if they are past the use-by or expiry date, the unopened cans should be fine for “at least several years” more.<\/p>\n It is possible that the quality of the goods may decrease over time though this depends on the item.<\/p>\n The food expert explained that high-acid ingredients like tomatoes would maintain their quality for 18 months after the use-by date, while low-acid items (like meat and vegetables), will remain at their peak freshness for two to five years.<\/p>\n
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