I have a strange dilemma; I have several large totes of canned food. Most of it is several years old, but I have the opinion that canned goods that are in good condition are still safe to eat years after their expiration date. However, I have moved into a small “getting ready to retire” house with very limited storage. I’ve also had a major medical issue that, in a SHTF situation and I couldn’t get my meds I probably won’t live long enough to eat the food. Despite all this I just can’t bring myself to throw it away, and there’s really no other way to get rid of it,. I don’t regularly eat the food that I store and choose not to.
I have only known one couple who regularly recycled their stored food, using it and replacing it with new goods each time they bought anything new that they had in their stored area already. It takes vigilance most do not have the patience for. Consequently I think most folks who are storing food for emergencies are storing most of it beyond its expiration dates, and they know it; leaving the real worry about it to time of the emergency.
Food pantries in your area would probably take it.
As you say, expiration dates are more suggestion than fact.
As long as cans aren’t swollen the food is likely safe, though the nutritional value will diminish somewhat. If you have canned fruits and vegetables that you don’t want, they can make a very good start to a compost pile so you can start your own small garden.
“canned goods that are in good condition are still safe to eat years after their expiration date”
I was actually going through some of my old canned foods, soups, and stews and it tastes better than the ones I brought at the store a few weeks ago.
Its kinda like opening a box or a bag of snacks and its only half full these days - I think the companies are skipping on the ingredients. The new ones tasted really bland.
oh the out of date canned food was 10-12 years old and still just fine as long as the tins dont get compromised its good.
Put it outside a dumpster in a busy part of town, someone will take it.