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Five Different Shelf Life Studies
http://grandpappy.info/hshelff.htm Five Different Shelf Life Studies: Two on Canned Food and Three on Dry Food Canned Food Study One A Food and Drug Administration Article about a shelf life test that was conducted on 100-year old canned foods that were retrieved from the Steamboat Bertrand can be read at the following link: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/CONSUMER/CON00043.html Following is a brief summary of a very small portion of the above article: "Among the canned food items retrieved from the Bertrand in 1968 were brandied peaches, oysters, plum tomatoes, honey, and mixed vegetables. In 1974, chemists at the National Food Processors Association (NFPA) analyzed the products for bacterial contamination and nutrient value. Although the food had lost its fresh smell and appearance, the NFPA chemists detected no microbial growth and determined that the foods were as safe to eat as they had been when canned more than 100 years earlier. The nutrient values varied depending upon the product and nutrient. NFPA chemists Janet Dudek and Edgar Elkins report that significant amounts of vitamins C and A were lost. But protein levels remained high, and all calcium values 'were comparable to today's products.'" "NFPA chemists also analyzed a 40-year-old can of corn found in the basement of a home in California. Again, the canning process had kept the corn safe from contaminants and from much nutrient loss. In addition, Dudek says, the kernels looked and smelled like recently canned corn." "According to a recent study cosponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and NFPA, canned foods provide the same nutritional value as fresh grocery produce and their frozen counterparts when prepared for the table. NFPA researchers compared six vegetables in three forms: home-cooked fresh, warmed canned, and prepared frozen. 'Levels of 13 minerals, eight vitamins, and fiber in the foods were similar,' says Dudek. In fact, in some cases the canned product contained high levels of some vitamins that in fresh produce are destroyed by light or exposure to air." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canned Food Study Two A canned food shelf life study conducted by the U.S. Army revealed that canned meats, vegetables, and jam were in an excellent state of preservation after 46 years. The Washington State University summary article can be read at: http://www.whatcom.wsu.edu/family/facts/shelflif.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dry Food Study One A scientific study conducted at Brigham Young University on the shelf life of a variety of different dry foods can be read at both of the following links: http://ce.byu.edu/cw/womensconferenc...ns/pdf/52a.pdf http://www.providentliving.org/conte...4222-1,00.html A brief summary of the above web site information shows the following estimated shelf life per dry food item: Over 30 years for wheat and white rice. 30 years for pinto beans, macaroni, rolled oats, and potato flakes. 20 years for powdered milk. All dry food items should be stored in airtight moisture proof containers at a temperature between 40�F to 70�F. Salt, baking soda, and granulated sugar still in their original containers have no known shelf life limit if properly stored. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dry Food Study Two http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2..._for_years.htm Following are some direct quotes taken from the above web site: Food scientists now know that, when properly sealed, some dried food that's been sitting on shelves for years, could still be OK to eat. "It lasts a lot longer than we thought," Oscar Pike a food scientist at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, tells DBIS. Scientists have known certain foods like sugar and salt can be stored indefinitely, but wanted to learn the shelf life of other food like dried apples -- stored since 1973 -- tried by taste testers. "I like to call it the emergency shelf life of the food, food that you'd still be willing to eat in an emergency," Pike says. "It's not as though it were freshly canned, but it's certainly edible." He says the best foods to store are low in moisture, like wheat and powered milk. But keep all foods away from heat and light to stop it from going stale and losing nutritional value. "All the foods that we've tested have been stored at room temperature or below, so you want to avoid attic and garage storage." In the study, researchers taste-tested rolled oats that had been stored in sealed containers for 28 years. Three-fourths of tasters considered the oats acceptable to eat in an emergency. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dry Food Study Three http://beprepared.com/article.asp?ai...cd2=1213479534 Following are some quotes taken from the above web site: It is important to first identify what is meant by "food storage" and "shelf life." "Food storage" that is intended to be held long-term is generally considered to be low moisture food packed in either #10 cans or in metalized bags placed within large buckets. "Shelf life" can be defined in the following two ways: "Best if used by" shelf life - Length of time food retains most of its original taste and nutrition. "Life sustaining" shelf life - Length of time food preserves life, without becoming inedible. There can be a wide time gap between these two definitions. For example, most foods available in the grocery store that are dated have a "Best if used by" date that ranges from a few weeks to a few years. On the other hand, scientific studies have determined that when properly stored, powdered milk has a "Life sustaining" shelf life of 20 years. That is, the stored powdered milk may not taste as good as fresh powdered milk, but it is still edible. Shelf life is extremely dependent on the following storage conditions: Temperature: Excessive temperature is damaging to food storage. With increased temperature, proteins breakdown and some vitamins will be destroyed. The color, flavor and odor of some products may also be affected. To enhance shelf life, store food at room temperature or below; never store food in an attic or garage. Moisture: Excessive moisture can result in product deterioration and spoilage by creating an environment in which microorganisms may grow and chemical reactions can take place. Oxygen: The oxygen in air can have deteriorative effects on fats, food colors, vitamins, flavors, and other food constituents. It can cause conditions that will enhance the growth of microorganisms. Light: The exposure of foods to light can result in the deterioration of specific food constituents, such as fats, proteins, and vitamins, resulting in discoloration, off-flavors, and vitamin loss. EXAMPLES OF SHELF LIFE: Recent scientific studies on dehydrated food have shown that food stored properly can last for a much longer period of time than previously thought. This research determined the "life sustaining" shelf life to be the following: Dry Food Item Shelf Life Wheat, White Rice, and Corn 30 years or more Pinto Beans, Apple Slices, Macaroni 30 years Rolled Oats, and Potato Flakes 30 years Powdered Milk 20 years |
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TA, I have posted this same web page several times at GIM. But it doesn't bother me a bit that you've given it its own thread. It deserves to be front and center. And I'll tell you why.
We're all told over and over to store what you eat and eat what you store, to rotate, rotate, and rotate your food stores. That is sound advice. But I've heard too many stories of family or friends who saw the best-used-by dates on canned goods expire and pitched them, thinking that they weren't good anymore. That is, IMO, a big mistake on several levels. 1) As the studies you cite explain, canned foods can last much longer than most people even imagine. For many foods, the best-used-by date is placed on the can only because law requires it and because marketing managers know these dates will help them to move product -- not because there is anything at all wrong with the foods within the cans. Check out lessoil=+pm's recent post on this subject: http://goldismoney.info/forums/showp...63&postcount=3 2) Even if food quality eventually begins to deteriorate with age, unless the can integrity itself has been compromised, the food will still be safe and a source of calories, minerals and some vitamins that you may someday be happy to have in a SHTF situation. Remember that your long-term food storage is intended to keep you from starving to death, not to provide you with gourmet meals. 3) You've already paid for this food once. It is uneconomic to throw it out, just because some artibrary expiration date has passed, and repurchase again. So, I have personally made the decision to never throw anything away unless the cans are bulging, rusted through, or otherwise clearly structurally compromised. Thank you for posting this information in its own thread. |
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Thanks Master Merl :ok:
I was just fascinated about about that Steamboat Betrand study Food from a 100 years ago still had caloric value. Dont chuck Buldging cans either......... thats a good "barter item" to give the enemy :evil: T |
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My wife donates expired cans to the local food pantry - so it doesn't go to waste. I just keep buying more cans every month - it's very cheap insurance.
I told her to keep her mits off my stacks of spam - I have it on good authority that canned spam shelf-life exceeds 50 years. Oh, and to you food snobs, for the record, I like spam! It's all in the preparation. Who knows: some day, a can of spam might trade for a couple of SAEs! I left an open can of spam in the woods for two weeks once: no animal would touch it and it was as fresh as the day it was opened.............:452: ...........nah, I'm just BSing y'all.:s9: |
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i just eat anything that gets close to it's expiry and replace it.
it's easier if you have a colour code on your stuff. Put Red tape on stuff you buy the first year, yellow tape on the second, Green tape on the third. By the time the forth year rolls around, move out the red tape stuff, and use a new color. Black maybe? after 6 years you can start your 6 colours again. this way you are always eating stuff after 3 years and a quick visual look will tell you want you need replaced. no waste |
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Whew! I recently bought $400 worth of Red Alaska Salmon and the cans have a 2015 "best by" date. Keeping it in a cool storage place will extend the shelf life considerably.
I imagine as our unemployment reaches a real 20% the local food banks will not be receiving many out-dated cans anymore. :sleepy13: |
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I have some of the same salmon dated 1988, and it is still good..... Haven't had a can of that case go bad yet..! Have never payed attention to the dates, on the cans. I do pay attention to the condition of the cans. And that goes for all canned goods that are put back. |
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Mamboni - Spam cookbook. Don't tell the wife. scyth |
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The year 1974 had myself and a few other adventurous youngsters "discovering" a cache of World War 2 C-rations, probably hidden by some old goldminer.
All had pack dates from the 1940's. They tasted fine, we took them to school for lunches, and ate them hobo- style along the train tracks. The very few cans with evidence of bulging were discarded, or used for taste test experiments on neighborhood dogs. nobody got sick, or had any troubles, we each probably ate several dozen full ration packs. |
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Personally I really like the taste of spam. This reminds me to go out and buy some more! I don't like canned salmon too much even though they last forever. Just too fishy.
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I have gotten some wonderful bargains buying outdated food at a "scratch-n-dent" store, but I learned something: DO NOT buy any product in a paper package if the package has been cut, and don't buy outdated cookies or crackers or mixes in paper containers. The key here is any sort of shortening or oil in the ingredients. It goes rancid and then the package tastes better than the product.
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Canned goods vary a LOT. I have seen some cans that barely made a year or two or even past their use-by before deterioration. Typically these are the cans that use a food-safe plastic coating inside, often they have flaws and as there is no tin/zinc coating and the can is often just steel, it rusts out in no time.
There is also the question of taste, often old canned goods taste lifeless and awful, sure you'd eat them if you're starving to death but they are hardly a morale lifter. Rotate your cans. Things like SPAM that are designed to last a long time generally do, but I don't consider most canned products to have that in mind, and they're not very shelf stable at all. MREs if you're serious, or food that is designed to be shelf stable for long periods. I like boil-in-the-bag solutions or dry foods that can be reconstituted. If you can control your own canning/bottling/pickling, more power to you. |
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Hasnt it been said you are NOT suppose to eat MRE's for a extended lenght of time??? T |
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Does denting compromise the integrity of canned food, or is this just a myth?
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the ? is; was the vacuum compromised.
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If you dip your cans in wax it will stop rust from forming. T |
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With all of the fertilizers, pesticides and flavor enhancers they use nowadays,
it might be more healthy to eat a 100 yr. old can of corn. |
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also i'm no pro in this area. careful inspection, around seals would catch some i'd bet; flexing the can if possible. any can looking bulging/swelling/pressure is a no no! the cat's meow for me is to hear the vacuum hiss when i open the can;[Not a pressure/spewing hiss!!!]- i do this all the time. also look for any discoloration of product, & smell immediately when first open. no guarantee's i know of though, & the above will not necessarily guarantee catching botulism i have been told . here's a post i made on merlin's shelflife thread 3 days ago. "when we bought this place there were home canned items in the basement. this year i got around to testing/opening some. i have only tried a few jars of pear preserves. per neighbor's, the last family to home can was 40-50 yrs. ago. i listened for vacuum hiss when opening. a little discoloration was around inside top, i wiped this out. smelled, & tasted fine/good. i ate a little. waited a day; no problem. now have had i think 3 jars. btw seals were very gummy & tore in places when opening, but had held vacuum." + btw they tasted very good. they were in the basement. i'm sure that helped a lot. i was nervous though & had a friend present to listen, smell, etc.;+ i chose only sugary 'preserves'; & i ate only a little the first day, [i have had food poisoning once from camp food, & several kids were hospitalized; & i was very sick too]. there is more items there, i'll post, If i try more, but i doubt the other products will taste good even if safe. i'm not recommending this to anyone. i was around folks checking/questioning some foods in camps. |
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While working in a grocery store many moons ago, I was told to toss any cans with seam dents. We would buy them for a nickel, and take them camping. As long as the vacuum wasn't compromised, they were fine. The very few that had no vacuum made great targets.
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