Anian

Nearly all tinned food will last a good five years passed the best before date. Most of it will probably last 50 years. It is pasteurised while in the tin, so the germs are all killed and no more can get in. That doesn't mean the food won't decay a bit, but it is a very slow process. I think that five years in the maximum amount of time that you are allowed to put on the tin, so that's what everyone does.

Eat it, it is perfectly fine.

Bob

If the can isn't dented, it's probably okay.

Probably best to let the kids try it first though, at least that way someone else gets to piss through their arsehole first

tonrob

I recently found a tine of Ambrosia rice pud at the back of a cupboards and with a sell-by date in 2007. I just ate it anyway and it was fine.

Sell-by dates are for poofs.

Sally Redux

There is a British foods import company near here and about once a month they sell off some past-the-date food.

I never dreamed that moving to America would mean I made a special journey to buy expired cans of beans and squashy, slightly luminous pickled onions.

Bob

There's a place in Concord, MA that does that....some great bargains

kimilseung

Don't forget the time difference when checking use by dates, and day light saving time. Food can be up to 9 hours out of date if you are not careful. Stay safe.

Lion in Winter

I never dreamed that I would be contributing to a thread about expired tinned rice pudding. Land of opportunity, right here.

Yorkieabroad

There was something on the telly about some cans of corned beef that they'd found from WW1 era (did they can food back then?) and they opened them and they were still edible. I use that as my excuse to ignore sell by dates on undamaged cans, so if it was anything else, I'd say open it, make sure its properly cooked, and eat it. BUT last year I opened a can of Ambrosia that was about 2 years out of date and it was manky - gone all brown, and smelled dodgy so I binned it

I'd say open it and let your eyes and nose be the judge.

Yorkieabroad

New Orleans style? Its probably spicy with crawfish tails in it

Guinea pig away, and please post the results!

Cape Blue

The streets are paved with gold!

Bob

salmonella and ecoli don't smell though....much better to let the OH chow the tinned food first....or the kids....

Yorkieabroad

Karrie72

scrubbedexpat097

Please move to the "What's your favourite thing about the US" thread...

RICH

Maybe we should turn this around.

Who has ever got(ten) sick after eating something out of date? (and did you know it at the time)