[DavidJ]

I found this while researching today and thought it'd be of interest to someone... Though there's a good chance it's been posted here before

http://shelflifeadvice.com/all_products

David...

 

[Carne Frio]

Here is another, similar type of site. Wonder how accurate they are ?

http://www.stilltasty.com/

 

[goose3]

I found the stilltasty site to be a crock; ridiculous shelf lives.

The one posted by the OP isn't much better. For instance, under canned meat, they show a shelf life of a year.

C'mon. SPAM has a shelf life of forever. Canned corned beef, 3-5 years. Canned Salmon, 5 years. Canned hams (like DAK) are 3-5 years.

Their flour dates are also bad, if you're storing flour in mylar w/ O2 absorbers. I'm expecting to get up to 10 years out of my flour, stored that way.

I wouldn't rely on either site for anything authoritative.

 

[DavidJ]

Good question, but I'm assuming the best!

 

[wanderer714]

I didn't see spam on the list......

 

[rextex]

Ignore shelf life dates ---just a way to get you to buy more!

 

[DavidJ]

I saw a lot on that website that was supported by what I've read here, plus, I don't think that site has mylar bags, O2's and survival in case TSHTF in mind. It may not be a great site, but it's a general purpose site with a lot of good information about normal everyday products.

 

[Ryn]

I have come to a point in my life where i realize that shelf life really does not matter to me. I know how to tell if something is bad. I recognize the warning signs and taste test things that are iffy. Canned foods last a lot longer then people realize. So do cereals and such so long as the bugs are absent.

 

[TxHills]

I found the stilltasty site to be a crock; ridiculous shelf lives.

The one posted by the OP isn't much better. For instance, under canned meat, they show a shelf life of a year.

C'mon. SPAM has a shelf life of forever. Canned corned beef, 3-5 years. Canned Salmon, 5 years. Canned hams (like DAK) are 3-5 years.

Their flour dates are also bad, if you're storing flour in mylar w/ O2 absorbers. I'm expecting to get up to 10 years out of my flour, stored that way.

I wouldn't rely on either site for anything authoritative.

It's been discussed here many times also, that the "use by" dates are not necessarily "go bad by" dates. Many if not most foods last longer than the date stamped on the can. And I've learned from MikeK, goose3 and others here........the texture and color may change, and some nutritional value may be lost way after the dates on many cans....it's still edible so long as the seal of the can hasn't been compromised. I went and pulled some cans out of the pantry. I'm not gonna go dig into the storage....but here's several items. I always mark the "use by" with a sharpie. If you're not....you might want to. These are items I rotate from my storage, into the pantry for use. All new food goes to storage as these are rotated out.

I disagree on their date for honey. Honey virtually lasts forever. So does sugar, if it's kept dry and free from insects and rodents. I keep some sugar in the bags, some in plastic air tight containers, and some stored in mylar, with no o2.

I agree with goose3 about canned meats also. Canned veggies, etc. I didn't read every item on the list....but just skimmed over it. Remeber...the dates on the cans below....are the manufacturers suggested use by date.

Here's a recent thread about canned goods.
http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=151742&highlight=expiration+dates+cans

 

[SouthernBell]

Demystifying Use Bye, Sell By, Best if used by Dates on food packaging

Great information and explination of food dating and exactly what it means.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/food_product_dating/index.asp

 

[DavidJ]

OK, I stand corrected, I posted less than desirable info... my bad. :taped:

 

[Allamakee County]

OK, I stand corrected, I posted less than desirable info... my bad. :taped:

No need for that. You were being helpful and offering something for discussion. Thanks for posting.

 

[goose3]

OK, I stand corrected, I posted less than desirable info... my bad. :taped:

Don't take it personally. This is a place to exchange information and obtain opinions, and you contributed.

The reason I noted what I did was so that anyone looking to those sites for accurate information should take them with a major grain of salt. The problem is that as soon as one finds some data on a site that's wrong, it calls into question all the data on that site.

For those new to food storage, the worst thing to have is inaccurate information (well, the worst thing is to have no food storage. ).

And, BTW, welcome!

 

[goose3]

It's been discussed here many times also, that the "use by" dates are not necessarily "go bad by" dates. Many if not most foods last longer than the date stamped on the can. And I've learned from MikeK, goose3 and others here........the texture and color may change, and some nutritional value may be lost way after the dates on many cans....it's still edible so long as the seal of the can hasn't been compromised. I went and pulled some cans out of the pantry. I'm not gonna go dig into the storage....but here's several items. I always mark the "use by" with a sharpie. If you're not....you might want to. These are items I rotate from my storage, into the pantry for use. All new food goes to storage as these are rotated out.

I disagree on their date for honey. Honey virtually lasts forever. So does sugar, if it's kept dry and free from insects and rodents. I keep some sugar in the bags, some in plastic air tight containers, and some stored in mylar, with no o2.

I agree with goose3 about canned meats also. Canned veggies, etc. I didn't read every item on the list....but just skimmed over it. Remeber...the dates on the cans below....are the manufacturers suggested use by date.

Here's a recent thread about canned goods.
http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=151742&highlight=expiration+dates+cans

Yeah, I didn't note the sugar, which as you indicate is also wrong. And manufacturers *want* you to get rid of "outdated" items so you have to buy more.

Canned goods, if the can is undented and uncorroded, can be wholesome for decades. People have found caches of canned goods from many years past, opened and eaten them. No harm. Sometimes the nutritional value has declined, but they're still ok to consume, and if you're hungry, outdated cans are better than going hungry.

I'll have to compile some of those studies into a post.

 

[DavidJ]

Thanks to all for the responses... Goose, no offense taken, just slightly embarrassed on my part

 

[TxHills]

Hey David. Don't be embarrassed! It's all learning. That's why I posted some pics for folks to see. To kinda clarify visually what the sites said....and what the cans actually have on them. We're all just trying to be helpful....not condescending in any way....

 

[MikeK]

I actually like those sites. Their shelf life estimates are highly conservative and based on the "best by" dates. But they allow me to compare "best by" dates of the products I intend to buy. Even knowing that the foods will last far longer than that, it's good data to be able to find at a single source.

 

[Monique]

I mark my cans like that too; suggest writing on the top of the can itself though, in case the label gets lost.