Commercial Food Preps With A Long Shelf Life

[Plymtom]

The thing is we are talking about stuff we do not make here as such, the USA has long been known for protecting it's own manufacturing in such a way, and to a degree why the hell not? You could loose most of your industry and therefore independence by letting cheaper imports have a free run. But to impose taxes and restrictions on goods from an ally which do not compete in a significant way with your own companies is bad taxation surely? People will only buy it if they have no other choice..it is what it is I suppose.

Your belief the U.S. protects its own industry would be disputed by most Americans and certainly all unions. Since the 80's, the U.S. has relentlessly moved towards free markets which has devastated our balance of trade as we cannot compete with 3rd world wages in the production of most goods. The U.S. has very few protective tariffs in place but I have first hand knowledge of the exorbitant tariffs that the UK has in place on a product that my business exports. By the way, there is not a television made in the U.S. as the business has gone to where the costs of production are lower. That is why we are able to purchase a color television in the U.S. for under $100. Free and open markets can and does displace many workers until they adjust their skill sets to fit a new source of employment.[/quote]

I may be holding on to beliefs from a long time ago so I'll take your word for it, Toshiba used to make TVs here in Plymouth but as you say labour is cheaper elsewhere, shooting ourselves in the foot on both sides of the pond methinks

[kizzie]

I am 56 and never taken any notice of dates on tins. Dates on cans/tins is a recent thing and wasn't around in my youth or younger married years.

I use my nose and other senses to tell me what is not good anymore. Never once opened a out of date tin that the food had gone off. unless the can was blown

I even keep eggs for many many mths past their use by date.

We live in a wasteful society and the amount of people who throw out perfectly good food is criminal, but I imagine food manufactures like that fact.

[Devonian]

I am 56 and never taken any notice of dates on tins. Dates on cans/tins is a recent thing and wasn't around in my youth or younger married years.

I use my nose and other senses to tell me what is not good anymore. Never once opened a out of date tin that the food had gone off. unless the can was blown

I even keep eggs for many many mths past their use by date.

We live in a wasteful society and the amount of people who throw out perfectly good food is criminal, but I imagine food manufactures like that fact.

Well said Kizzie

[Plymtom]

I see the trend we all bang on about emerging here.. forgotten skills the handed down ability to look, smell, taste, and make your own fairly accurate decision as to whether your food is good to eat or not.
This is a major part of what we are all about, keeping skills alive.

[Memphis]

Im quite happy to say that being 24 and therefore probably more the younger generation, you wont find me throwing out food unless its mouldy or smells funny!
Some good proof of the longevity of tinned or foil packet food is the ration packs I used to get, youd sometimes get a boil in the bag with 3 new use by stickers over the old one!

[jansman]

Food industry hat on here! Best Before- simply as it says. Use By- bin it as it is a high risk foodstuff.
To be fair, you rarely see use by on tins, it is normally on chilled items. I had a clear out odour walk in pantry and storage outbuilding this week. I chucked a few-a fair few- tins and packets out. Mainly because we don't eat that stuff anymore and some of it just looked manky. Anyhow, it is all bang up to speed now.
Regarding the long term aspect, checking through the tin dates, many are 2018. For me that is plenty of time, as it will have been turned around by then.

[SoCal92057]

If you properly rotate your ordinary canned food stores and eat from them, you will seldom need to discard anything due to the provided date on the container expiring. I have a large food storage area but prefer not to take up space with any food items that have essentially turned to garbage. A fact that may only be discovered when the food is needed in a SHTF scenario. If the SHTF you will want to have 100% of your precious stored foods be tasty and available for consumption. A simple food rotation and consumption plan such as first in / first out will do. If you have not considered this option and are determined to proceed with consumption based upon a look, smell and sight test regardless of the expiration date on the container, I suggest feeding the expired food item to only one family member and waiting several hours to determine if they maintain their health. Minute quantities of very dangerous bacteria may not be discernible by look, smell or sight.

[kizzie]

If you properly rotate your ordinary canned food stores and eat from them, you will seldom need to discard anything due to the provided date on the container expiring. I have a large food storage area but prefer not to take up space with any food items that have essentially turned to garbage. A fact that may only be discovered when the food is needed in a SHTF scenario. If the SHTF you will want to have 100% of your precious stored foods be tasty and available for consumption. A simple food rotation and consumption plan such as first in / first out will do. If you have not considered this option and are determined to proceed with consumption based upon a look, smell and sight test regardless of the expiration date on the container, I suggest feeding the expired food item to only one family member and waiting several hours to determine if they maintain their health. Minute quantities of very dangerous bacteria may not be discernible by look, smell or sight.

I very much doubt anyone will be storing food that has a expiry date as such... Best before will be the main items for storing

I am canning for storing. So wont be rotating anything. I eat fresh every day I dont believe cans/ jars go off unless the seal has blown.
Ive trusted my nose for 50 years and probably before that. I shall carry on trusting it. Of course anyone can get food poisoning from something that has a small hole or some such, (even stuff you have just bought) but with long term storing you will smell that as soon as its opened.

If something ever did happen and we needed to live without dates stamped onto our food, then Im sure the strong stomached amounts us will fair better than the weak who have never eaten anything slightly out of date.

Maybe we had all better stock up more loo rolls than we thought

[SoCal92057]

The entire purpose of prepping in general and food storage in particular is to remove as much happenstance from our lives as we reasonably may for when the unexpected happens. To this end we should work to use the information made available to us to the extent our common sense will allow. Carelessness in food storage is to ignore this principle.

[kizzie]

The entire purpose of prepping in general and food storage in particular is to remove as much happenstance from our lives as we reasonably may for when the unexpected happens. To this end we should work to use the information made available to us to the extent our common sense will allow. Carelessness in food storage is to ignore this principle.

We store as we might be short of food in the future. I expect if/ when the time comes to throw away those tins or pass them over if you find any in someone's store room with a best before date on, you will probably change your mind.


Mine will be fine.. They dont have any dates on.


Seriously though best before are fine to eat.