HOLD IT! DON'T THROW THAT FOOD OUT!
 

Oatmeal From '70s Still Tastes OK

Joanna Glasner 11.14.05

Next time you feel compelled to clean out the pantry, don't feel bad about putting it off.

A lot of the old food that's gone beyond the manufacturer's expiration date could still be edible for years or decades longer.

Such are the findings of food science researchers who recently subjected a panel of human tasters to samples of really old food. They discovered that artifacts like 20-year-old dried milk and 28-year-old rolled oats were still perfectly edible and sometimes even tasted OK.

"You'd think that shelf life would be much shorter," said Oscar Pike, one of the professors of food science at Brigham Young University who conducted the study. "But that's not the case."

Food scientists have long maintained that certain foodstuffs, like salt, granulated crystal sugar and wheat kernels, can be stored indefinitely at room temperature or below. But Pike said he was uncertain whether a more processed grain, such as a rolled oat, would also stand the test of time.

To find out, researchers prepared oatmeal from 16 samples of regular and quick-cooking rolled oats that had been stored up to 28 years in sealed containers. A panel of tasters rated the oats on aroma, texture, flavor, aftertaste and overall acceptability. Scientists also analyzed the samples' nutritional quality.

The conclusion? Tasters rated the quality of the old oats from 4.8 to 6.7 on an ascending scale from 1 to 9. Three-fourths considered them acceptable in an emergency.

Makers of long-lasting food products aren't surprised that people weren't keen on the taste of 1970s oatmeal.

"Palatability will decline before edibility vanishes," said Gary Hansen, owner of Pleasant Hill Grain, which sells food packages for emergency stockpiling.

Properly stored food, Hansen noted, can be edible longer than one might infer from manufacturers' expiration dates, which typically indicate when a product starts to taste worse or lose some nutritional value.

Hansen said he's seen rising interest in emergency preparedness in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. But while the retailer's most popular package -- a supply of dehydrated food to feed one person for a year -- is selling well, customers' level of concern is much lower than in 1999. Then, Americans stockpiled massive quantities in anticipation of a Y2K disaster.

Ted Labuza, a food science and engineering professor at the University of Minnesota, said research has shown that seeds can last for thousands of years if they're not damaged. Processing and improper storage practices that expose items to heat or oxygen are what cause deterioration.

"I've had canned chicken that was stored in a military case for seven years," Labuza recalled. "It was still very edible."

Pike said there are myriad reasons for ultra-long-term food storage, including maintaining surplus food stocks for humanitarian aid or national emergencies. He also doesn't discount the likelihood of individuals keeping stockpiles for years or decades.

In some cases, they already are. To get samples for edibility testing, Brigham Young researchers put an ad in the LDS Church News, a Mormon publication, asking for donations of old packaged food that had been stored under stable conditions. Pike said he chose the periodical for soliciting donations because the church advises members to store a year's supply of food in preparation for hard times.

But even he was surprised to receive samples decades old and still in good condition.

"It's really unique to have food around that long," he said.

http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2005/11/69447

Re: HOLD IT! DON'T THROW THAT FOOD OUT!
 

Man eats 50-year-old chicken for golden wedding anniversary

By Chris Williams
Published Thursday 9th February 2006 10:36 GMT

A sentimental husband in Denton, Greater Manchester, has celebrated his golden wedding anniversary by eating a 50-year-old can of chicken.

Les Lailey had been saving the tin of Buxted Whole Cooked Chicken in Jelly from a buffet he and his bride Beryl received as a wedding gift � in 1956. They kept hold of the tin through numerous house moves, explaining to the BBC: �I always said 'on my 50th wedding anniversary I'm going to eat that chicken' � so I did.�

He added: �It was all right. But I don't like chicken.�

The couple ate everything else in their wedding hamper, but with post-war rationing still in effect, a whole canned chicken was a rare delicacy. Les reported: �It tasted just like ordinary chicken. A little bit salty but that was my fault for not cooking it like I should have done.�

Beryl was not too impressed with her husband's romantic gesture: �If it was a diamond ring or something like that, that would be different.�

Les apparently has felt no ill-effects from the fossilised feast. Experts say tinned food can last almost indefinitely if sealed properly, though the normal shelf life is about six months. Indeed, a panel of food scientists recently tested several foods from the seventies (http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,69447,00.html) and found many were still palatable.

Food science professor Ted Labuza of the University of Minnesota told Wired last year that a seven-year-old canned chicken he had eaten was still "very edible".

With the ancient-chicken-eating world record safely back in British hands, canny Les Lailey now has plans to put the empty tin up for sale on eBay. "It's a part of history," he says.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02...ken/print.html

Re: HOLD IT! DON'T THROW THAT FOOD OUT!
 

Re: HOLD IT! DON'T THROW THAT FOOD OUT!
 

My mother made noodles once from 7 year old flour that we found in my grandparents house. It was sitting, open, in a kitchen cupboard. The noodles turned out fine.

Re: HOLD IT! DON'T THROW THAT FOOD OUT!
 

I love to hear things like this as I'm edging up to a year's worth of food for 6 people. If we don't get any fecal matter striking any fans it will take me a looooong time to eat all this.

Re: HOLD IT! DON'T THROW THAT FOOD OUT!
 

Bump for a grin and food for thought!

Re: HOLD IT! DON'T THROW THAT FOOD OUT!
 

I eat stuff all the time that is way past "freshness" date.....I even have a neighbor that knows me well...and they will not eat past the date...so, they give it to me...it is perfectly tasty.

I bet you could eat dehydrated stuff like mac&cheese that is 30 years old without a problem.

I eat stuff I find in the fridge that may be enven a month old.....if it does not smell bad I go for it...never an issue...every once in a while...it tastes stale/old...and I have to toss it.

I often make soup out of old fridge stuff and leftovers....tastes great.

Re: HOLD IT! DON'T THROW THAT FOOD OUT!
 

Grandpappy is an expert on this subject and many others related to survival:

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."

Re: HOLD IT! DON'T THROW THAT FOOD OUT!
 

I sent my mom the original article in the OP.

She has already done extensive research is keeping food in her cupboard way too long.

Re: HOLD IT! DON'T THROW THAT FOOD OUT!
 

Me too. I don't get EXTREME with risks, but waste not, want not. Best to try to use it up BEFORE it goes bad.

Re: HOLD IT! DON'T THROW THAT FOOD OUT!
 

The kids and I recently found a package of Mahatma's red beans and rice that was 7 years beyond expiration date. We cooked it up and it was edible though I wouldn't say it was super tasty. The beans didn't fare as well as the rice. I imagine having everything mixed in with the spices all in one package didn't help. If the components were stored separately I expect they would keep longer.
Attachment 77577

Re: HOLD IT! DON'T THROW THAT FOOD OUT!
 

You found it??????????

Are you sure you're not my mother?

Re: HOLD IT! DON'T THROW THAT FOOD OUT!
 

LOL, It had fallen behind the shelving unit. We've owned this house for decades so its definitely mine.

Re: HOLD IT! DON'T THROW THAT FOOD OUT!
 

Expired Medication still works.

Re: HOLD IT! DON'T THROW THAT FOOD OUT!
 

i got food poisoning twice in 2002. that dramatically changed my eating habits. no more fast food, except i'll still eat

* McDonald's fish meal
* Coffee

Ground beef - no way. you can't know for sure that it was treated right through all the manufacturing steps. it's like playing Salmonella Roulette. :beer: