Canned Foods

Capt. Rob57

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In today's newspaper there is a B.S. story about canned foods. Please let me clarify it. My family owned a food processing company for 50 years in the U.S. I was the youngest certified food processing engineer in the U.S. at age 18. The expiration date is not that it is a BEST IF USED BEFORE BY DATE. All low acid foods such as corn, beans, canned meat etc. are thermally processed to render botulism inert. Once you have a hermetically sealed container and it is processed properly unless that seal is broken it is good for life. In other words 20 to 30 years. Now if the ends are pouched don't buy it, if you look at the seams and they have lost the integrity don't buy it. When in doubt bring the product to a boil for two minutes and this will render 99.9 percent of the bacterial inert.
 

Eddy

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Jan 1, 2002
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In today's newspaper there is a B.S. story about canned foods. Please let me clarify it. My family owned a food processing company for 50 years in the U.S. I was the youngest certified food processing engineer in the U.S. at age 18. The expiration date is not that it is a BEST IF USED BEFORE BY DATE. All low acid foods such as corn, beans, canned meat etc. are thermally processed to render botulism inert. Once you have a hermetically sealed container and it is processed properly unless that seal is broken it is good for life. In other words 20 to 30 years. Now if the ends are pouched don't buy it, if you look at the seams and they have lost the integrity don't buy it. When in doubt bring the product to a boil for two minutes and this will render 99.9 percent of the bacterial inert.
Thanks for the info. Good to know here because it is illegal in several countries to have the expired stuff on the shelves so they ship it to the DR. along with other junk "seconds", ends of production, discontinued products etc. and we get charged the full price.
 

Mirador

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Apr 15, 2004
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Captain, maybe you should take a leisurely Sunday morning stroll to the flea market at the corner of 30 de Mayo and Luper?n avenues in SD. You wouldn't believe the dated and deteriorated food stuff sold there. The piles of dated, deteriorated and rusting packages and cans on sale. And then watch the throngs of desperate customers believing they are getting real bargains (hope their families can find similar bargains at the funeral parlor for caskets and cemetary plots). I always scold the sellers, like Jesus did with the money-changers and merchants at the Temple (Of course, guarding distances...;-). Maybe people here are immune to botulism, and many other very serious food poisonings?. The processed food stuff sold looks like it was salvaged from the bottom of New Orleans flooded after Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc to that town almost two years ago. ..
 

Lambada

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When we first moved here in 1992 I came across a can of something or other in a colmado with an expiration date of 1987. Can't even remember what the contents were supposed to be - they had probably morphed from 'something' to 'other'. :)
 

BushBaby

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In today's newspaper there is a B.S. story about canned foods. Please let me clarify it. My family owned a food processing company for 50 years in the U.S. I was the youngest certified food processing engineer in the U.S. at age 18. The expiration date is not that it is a BEST IF USED BEFORE BY DATE. All low acid foods such as corn, beans, canned meat etc. are thermally processed to render botulism inert. Once you have a hermetically sealed container and it is processed properly unless that seal is broken it is good for life. In other words 20 to 30 years. Now if the ends are pouched don't buy it, if you look at the seams and they have lost the integrity don't buy it. When in doubt bring the product to a boil for two minutes and this will render 99.9 percent of the bacterial inert.
As Eddy said above, Good & useful information.

Could you clarify for me Capt.Rob just what the 'Expiration' date really means & why the manufacturers bother to put it on to their cans? Is this just another scam of the 'Standards' committee or (in UK) weights & standards commission, to fleece us unsuspecting buyers to throw away stuff that is 'Out of date'? Could we quite safely donate these to charities to use in poor countries where under nourishment is a problem? ~ Grahame.
 

Don Juan

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I try not to buy anything canned. I've been told the acids from the metal and solder used to build the can will leach into it's product's content.
This is what some people theorize as being a major cause of alzheimer's disease. er.......
 

NotLurking

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Jul 21, 2003
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Grahame, I concur, good and useful info. I'm looking forward to Capt.Rob's reply to your query about the usefulness of the 'Expiration Date' on canned goods. I'm much more intrigued by the potential scam 'twist' you've put on this. Quite frankly, it never would've occurred to me, very interesting point of view. I hope the can dating thing is actually useful and not another way of taking us to the cleaners!

NotLurking


As Eddy said above, Good & useful information.

Could you clarify for me Capt.Rob just what the 'Expiration' date really means & why the manufacturers bother to put it on to their cans? Is this just another scam of the 'Standards' committee or (in UK) weights & standards commission, to fleece us unsuspecting buyers to throw away stuff that is 'Out of date'? Could we quite safely donate these to charities to use in poor countries where under nourishment is a problem? ~ Grahame.
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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The only place I've noticed this happening was Carrefour, and that was a few years ago. My delight at finding baked beans - only to find they were past their sell-by date.
 

Mirador

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The only place I've noticed this happening was Carrefour, and that was a few years ago. My delight at finding baked beans - only to find they were past their sell-by date.

OK, here's three important things to keep in mind if you consume canned goods.

1) If the can is dented, discard it, since the enamel or plastic inner coating has been breached, and the metal solder (usually lead) has leached into the contents.

2) Always wash thoroughly the can before opening. Most warehouses and supermarket depots are littered with rats that urinate on the cans. Leptoperosis disease is frequently confused with dengue in the DR, and is usually caught by contact with infected food containers, mostly beer, carbonated beverages and others. Also, aluminum oxide is one of the most potent toxics around, and it is not visible to the naked eye. Always wash thoroughly all aluminum containers (especially beer cans...). Most cases of canker or similar sores in the mouth (including those attributed to herpes), are caused by aluminum oxide contact with the tissues of the mouth and lips.

3) I forgot.... (memory loss, probably from Alzheimer's caught by not following the above instructions...;-)
 
C

Chip00

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This reminds me a story my Dad told me that when he was training in the Guard in the 60's that they were still eating canned c-ration's from WWII and he said they were good - especially the dark chocolate.
 

Criss Colon

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Watch Out For "Mayonaise"!!!!!

When US Made "Mayo" is "on Sale" here be careful! It is usually close too,or after the "Sell By Date"! I found some at Super Pola" yesterday, on Camino Chiquito in Santo Domingo,16 June the date. I just opened it up and gave a "Smell Test". iT "fAILED"! sMELLED RANCID! I put it back,with the top, off and went about my business! "Crackers" are another problem. If you see "Two For Ones" ,take a taste before you buy! I will NEVER buy ANYTHING without tasting or smelling first! I even open a package of the "fresh"??? chicken or meat I want to buy,"smell", then ask for it to be re-wraped if it "ok"! CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

Chirimoya

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When US Made "Mayo" is "on Sale" here be careful! It is usually close too,or after the "Sell By Date"! I found some at Super Pola" yesterday, on Camino Chiquito in Santo Domingo,16 June the date. I just opened it up and gave a "Smell Test". iT "fAILED"!
Didn't it have a safety seal?

I've stopped buying and eating mayonnaise since I had a bad case of food poisoning a couple of weeks ago - first time in years. The only thing I'd eaten that the other members of the household hadn't contained some mayonnaise.
 

Mirador

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When US Made "Mayo" is "on Sale" here be careful! It is usually close too,or after the "Sell By Date"! I found some at Super Pola" yesterday, on Camino Chiquito in Santo Domingo,16 June the date. I just opened it up and gave a "Smell Test". iT "fAILED"! sMELLED RANCID! I put it back,with the top, off and went about my business! "Crackers" are another problem. If you see "Two For Ones" ,take a taste before you buy! I will NEVER buy ANYTHING without tasting or smelling first! I even open a package of the "fresh"??? chicken or meat I want to buy,"smell", then ask for it to be re-wraped if it "ok"! CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Great advise! I've been giving this advice since I can remember, to family members and others. If something tastes or smells "funny" don't eat it, and if you have, then throw it up! For this, I'm sure I've saved a lot in medical and EMC expenses..
 

BushBaby

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Whilst I appreciate the concern for 'Sell by Dates' & their validity, &/or jars with sealed tops & their ability to 'go off' over time, we don't want Capt. Rob going off on a tangent here - he was talking about (& I was enquiring about) CANNED foods & 'EXPIRATION' dates.

PLEASE Capt. Rob, what is the difference between EXPIRATION DATE & Sell by date & can you explain to me why canned foods have expiration dates on when these are worthless? IS it a scam or is there a good reason for expiration dates being there? ~ Grahame.
 

aegap

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Mar 19, 2005
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Shelf life - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Shelf life is different from expiration date; the former relates to food quality, the latter to food safety. A food that has passed its shelf life is still safe, but optimal quality is no longer guaranteed""

..
Sell by / Display until
These dates are intended to help keep track of the stock in stores. Food that has passed its sell by or display until date, but is still within its use by / best before will still be edible, assuming it has been stored correctly. It is common practice in large stores to throw away such food, as it makes the stock control process easier. It also reduces the risk of customers buying food without looking at the date, only to find out the next day that they cannot use it.

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Use by
Generally, foods that have a use by date written on the packaging must not be eaten after it has expired. This is because such foods usually go bad quickly and may be injurious to health if spoiled. It is also important to follow storage instructions carefully for these foods (for example, product must be refrigerated).
Foods that have a best before date are usually safe to eat after the date has passed, although they are likely to have deteriorated either in flavour, texture, appearance or nutrition.
 

aegap

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Mar 19, 2005
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Here's more

Learn the Lingo of Expiration Dates
This brings us to terminology. The actual term "Expiration Date" refers to the last date a food should be eaten or used. Last means last -- proceed at your own risk.
Other, more commonly spotted terms are:
  • "Sell by" date. The labeling "sell by" tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires. This is basically a guide for the retailer, so the store knows when to pull the item. This is not mandatory, so reach in back and get the freshest. The issue is quality of the item (freshness, taste, and consistency) rather than whether it is on the verge of spoiling. Paul VanLandingham, EdD, a senior faculty member at the Center for Food and Beverage Management of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., tells WebMD the "sell by" date is the last day the item is at its highest level of quality, but it will still be edible for some time after.
  • "Best if used by (or before)" date. This refers strictly to quality, not safety. This date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date. Sour cream, for instance, is already sour, but can have a zippier, fresh taste when freshly sour (if that's not an oxymoron!)
 

Capt. Rob57

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Mar 22, 2006
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Please let me explain, what has been said is correct except for this. The warehouse for example of a big supermarket chain wants first in first out.
Second In 1975 128 part B of the Fed. Reg was enacted until this time all food processing plants in the U.S. were self governing. Who do think gave them F.D.A. the info to enact these laws? There are only 750 food processing plants in the U.S. My family helped write the laws.
Third there has been no lead seams in canned foods for years. At least in U.S. products. And buying dented cans is ok. Question if you bring home a good can and it falls on the the floor and gets a dent is it no longer good? This is a very lengthy discussion that cannot be answered in two words. Use common sense! We are talking about low acid foods. Which is different from canned fruit, tomatoes etc. If you can access 26-L from the National Food Processors Assos. it will give you a better understanding. Please believe me I would not pass on bad info. This was my family's life for 50 years. I would not disrespect our label brand "GARCIA'S"

The first company in the world to commercially produce fully seasoned Black Beans. After all I retired at 40 A multi millionaire.
 

Mirador

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I just recieved the following PM from Capt. Rob57:

I have 4 Chemical engineering degrees you are full of bull ****. You have no idea what you are talking about. There is no anti resistance to bot. Simple fact like I stated if you would ****ing read the post. If the can if pouched don't buy it. If the seams are in doubt don't buy it. Let the buyer be ware. But if you Bring the product to a boil for two minutes or more it will render the toxins inert. Simple Facts of science. Idiot.

You have obviously missunderstood me, and your insulting tirade was unjust and uncalled for. However, if you have issues against my person, I challenge you to a draw. I will let you chose the time, place, and weapons (except firearms - I'm a lousy shot...;-).
 

Chris

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Oct 21, 2002
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Oh boy! Handbags at 10 paces :laugh::laugh: Or are you going to toss overripe cans at one another. The first ever DR1 Can Wars!

I'm so glad I don't eat anything out of a can.
 

Capt. Rob57

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Mar 22, 2006
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No please this was sent a private message there you go again you sir have no integrity. You have no idea what you are talking about. Here in the D.R. I have worked for Goya, Productos Mama, Jaja, Formosa. and 24 different countries throughout the world. All I am trying to do is give valuable info. to the less informed. And you really don't want to mess with me sir I 210 lbs. and three black belts in karate.