Is canned food still good after the expiration date?
There is no magic date. It will depend on the quality of the
food to begin with, the quality and type of container and the
subsequent handling and storage thereof. Even canned, food will
degrade and change color, texture and flavor. I have used some
items that were a year past the coded date. They were edible, but I
could tell the difference when compared to newer product.
Many canned foods are coded with 2 and even 3 year shelf lives.
But for best quality and nutrition, plan to use canned goods within
a year. If you are trying to maintain a cache of canned foods, use
product throughout the year and replace it with fresh stock. Use
the FIFO method - First In First Out. Always use the oldest items
first.