7 ms·

> Cans last (almost) forever. Please do not donate food that is past its marked best by date. You're wasting everyone's time and effort.

sokoloff 7y ago
The food charity that I support (with cash) specifically takes and distributed safely edible but past best-by or sell-by date food. Best-by and sell-by dates are not a food safety date. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/fsis-content/internet/main/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/food-product-dating/food-product-dating https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/fsis-content/inter...
- falcolas 7y ago
  > Best-by and sell-by dates are not a food safety date. Exactly this. Properly canned (or otherwise preserved via cooking in a sealed vessel) food effectively has no end date, so long as the seal remains intact. It will taste largely the same (barring leached minerals or otherwise from the vessel), unlike frozen food.
  - justin66 7y ago
    > Properly canned (or otherwise preserved via cooking in a sealed vessel) food effectively has no end date, so long as the seal remains intact. I've certainly had some expired, but not especially old, cans pop. Took me a while to notice them, too (gross). The item was brand-name pureed tomatoes, stored in an environment that was probably warmer than it should have been (a cabinet above a refrigerator). I doubt there was anything wrong with the manufacture of those cans, I think they opened up because of their age, the temperature of their storage and the fact that the item inside was a bit acidic. Truthfully, I don't know if inspecting cans for damage is really much more difficult than just checking the expiry date on the can. For a food bank it's undoubtedly a bit of a pain either way, compared to rolling in a pallet of new cans...
- justin66 7y ago
  > specifically takes and distributed safely edible but past best-by or sell-by date food It'd be interesting to know how they make that determination. The food bank around here tells people not to donate expired items (and has once or twice shared photos of the truly ancient stuff people sometimes donate) but it just occurred to me that I don't know whether they automatically throw that stuff away, evaluate everything individually, or what.
  - sokoloff 7y ago
    The one I support takes cans mostly from the commercial and grocery food distribution channels and uses money to move them. If the canned food’s sell/best by was last month and it was pulled from channel because of that, it’s obviously perfectly safe.
    - justin66 7y ago
      Yeah, I can't imagine month old cans would ever be a problem. What you describe is an effective way to use those cans that are no longer saleable but still in good shape. Working with charities is probably a very effective way for businesses to get very recently expired inventory off the books. I can see why those same charities might institute a rule about no expired goods from the general public, however.

sokoloff 7y ago

The food charity that I support (with cash) specifically takes and distributed safely edible but past best-by or sell-by date food. Best-by and sell-by dates are not a food safety date. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/fsis-content/internet/main/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/food-product-dating/food-product-dating https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/fsis-content/inter...

falcolas 7y ago
> Best-by and sell-by dates are not a food safety date. Exactly this. Properly canned (or otherwise preserved via cooking in a sealed vessel) food effectively has no end date, so long as the seal remains intact. It will taste largely the same (barring leached minerals or otherwise from the vessel), unlike frozen food.
- justin66 7y ago
  > Properly canned (or otherwise preserved via cooking in a sealed vessel) food effectively has no end date, so long as the seal remains intact. I've certainly had some expired, but not especially old, cans pop. Took me a while to notice them, too (gross). The item was brand-name pureed tomatoes, stored in an environment that was probably warmer than it should have been (a cabinet above a refrigerator). I doubt there was anything wrong with the manufacture of those cans, I think they opened up because of their age, the temperature of their storage and the fact that the item inside was a bit acidic. Truthfully, I don't know if inspecting cans for damage is really much more difficult than just checking the expiry date on the can. For a food bank it's undoubtedly a bit of a pain either way, compared to rolling in a pallet of new cans...
justin66 7y ago
> specifically takes and distributed safely edible but past best-by or sell-by date food It'd be interesting to know how they make that determination. The food bank around here tells people not to donate expired items (and has once or twice shared photos of the truly ancient stuff people sometimes donate) but it just occurred to me that I don't know whether they automatically throw that stuff away, evaluate everything individually, or what.
- sokoloff 7y ago
  The one I support takes cans mostly from the commercial and grocery food distribution channels and uses money to move them. If the canned food’s sell/best by was last month and it was pulled from channel because of that, it’s obviously perfectly safe.
  - justin66 7y ago
    Yeah, I can't imagine month old cans would ever be a problem. What you describe is an effective way to use those cans that are no longer saleable but still in good shape. Working with charities is probably a very effective way for businesses to get very recently expired inventory off the books. I can see why those same charities might institute a rule about no expired goods from the general public, however.