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I talked to Sara Oldroyd, a nutritionist with the USU Extension Service in Salt Lake County. She gets calls all the time -- and more often now -- from people asking when food is safe to eat. People are pulling out their food storage more now, and there are some old cans and boxes and bottles of stuff that may need to be dusted off. Like my "emergency can" of soup in my desk, it may have an old date on it. Sara says it's best to eat canned food (home canned or store bought) within 3 years. No more than 5. She said I was welcome to open my soup, put it on the stove and see how it looks, smells and tastes. But she wouldn't do it. Here's the thing about a date on your food -- she says it doesn't guarantee safety. It's more of a guide. Use the food around that date and it will be the best quality and nutritional value. The "sell-by date" is more of a mark for stores to clear that food off their shelves by that date, because that will most likely guarantee happy customers. The "best-by date" is more for the consumer. The expiration date is similar to both. But if your canned food has a dent in it, that could lead to botulism -- it's odorless and tasteless. And if you leave your milk or meat out in your car or on the counter for a while after grocery shopping, it can go bad no matter what date is stamped on it.
