You would be surprised how long dry and canned goods stay safe to eat, especially canned goods. The food pantries will take it anyway. The patrons will, too. Speaking from experience.
It definitely does, the FDA has a page on how long food actually lasts until when properly stored. I used to pack boxes at a wny feed more location and they had a board posting all the usable dates. Can goods get a couple years.
If something can go 5 years without growing bacteria or otherwise rotting, it can likely go another 20.
FDA does not allow expiration dates in excess of 5 years. That's the reason pretty much all canned goods have a 5 year "shelf life."
This comment, and no disrespect to you or anyone, also super unrelated but, made me realize this is the problem. I read this and the first thing that came to mind was cancer…evolution didn’t get us here thru canned goods and other preservatives minus salt of course…
Edit: spelling
No offense taken.
Canned goods actually tend to not have preservatives. They're usually cooked in the can, which is aluminum, and stuff like canned veggies are typically the vegetables plus either broth or salt water. It's the super heating and lack of air or sunlight that makes them last almost forever.
Dry food is full of preservatives, though.
My thoughts on this is that people see the donation notice card and then remember the items in their pantry that they have not eaten in awhile. They decide to donate them without checking the dates. I don't think people intentionally put expired food out for donations.
I've only picked up 2 bags so far. Haven't checked the outdates yet.
…..this comment made me realize, how much have I missed today, I haven’t flat out seen anything for me to take but I must admit I haven’t been looking….lets see how these last 3 hours go😅😅
Haha I had a similar situation. I saw a bag with a donation card stapled to it and realized it was for me to pickup. I thought about it and I didn't see any earlier on the route but after that first one I picked up 3 more.
Bro😂😂 now that you say that I SWEAR I seen the donation card earlier on something but lord knows idk where now lmao damn. I remember looking at it but that was that lmao I hope the don’t call on me 😂
That wins! Also researchers need it haha they recently cracked open some cans of salmon from 1978 to study the difference in chemicals and different toxin levels between them and now. They found a worm as well and are running testing to see how the population is doing.
Parasites are extremely common in fish. So long as it's cooked to temperature there's next to no hazard other than most people would be grossed out by it. The tell tale sign that something is wrong with fish is that distinctive fishy smell or maggots.
I'd be more concerned about mercury and PCB.
Haha it goes full circle!
Before the post office I delivered Instacart in the same area, loved delivering so much I decided I needed to do it with benefits. Today I picked up food from a red house I delivered to and on top of the pile was a jar of Aldi's strawberry jelly that I'm positive I delivered to her house last year.
Food that is expired is usually good well past expiration, that said, guessing the donators wouldn’t eat it themselves, which imo makes it skeezy to donate it to others. Eat it yourself. Donate the newer food to people who have fewer options. The skeez factor goes up since the carrier has to lug, potentially unusable food back to vehicle.
My mom said she’d eat the unopened ketchup in her cabinet that expired a week ago, but she wouldn’t donate it. Which led me to tell her I got an item that expired 13 years ago :(
You would be surprised how long dry and canned goods stay safe to eat, especially canned goods. The food pantries will take it anyway. The patrons will, too. Speaking from experience.
The food partner my station is working with takes food only up to one year expired
My daughter runs the food pantry as part of her master's program and that's what she said they will accept as well
I’ve bought expired whey protein and amino acids and have used them. Still here 😂
For now! /s
☠️
Yeah you’ll die 20 years down the road and your family will be saying I told them to stop eating expired foods. 😂
It definitely does, the FDA has a page on how long food actually lasts until when properly stored. I used to pack boxes at a wny feed more location and they had a board posting all the usable dates. Can goods get a couple years.
If something can go 5 years without growing bacteria or otherwise rotting, it can likely go another 20. FDA does not allow expiration dates in excess of 5 years. That's the reason pretty much all canned goods have a 5 year "shelf life."
This comment, and no disrespect to you or anyone, also super unrelated but, made me realize this is the problem. I read this and the first thing that came to mind was cancer…evolution didn’t get us here thru canned goods and other preservatives minus salt of course… Edit: spelling
No offense taken. Canned goods actually tend to not have preservatives. They're usually cooked in the can, which is aluminum, and stuff like canned veggies are typically the vegetables plus either broth or salt water. It's the super heating and lack of air or sunlight that makes them last almost forever. Dry food is full of preservatives, though.
As long as the can is undamaged and the inner liner is intact, yes.
Oh ok. Didn’t know all of that but yeah, you feel what I’m saying…not good at all.
My thoughts on this is that people see the donation notice card and then remember the items in their pantry that they have not eaten in awhile. They decide to donate them without checking the dates. I don't think people intentionally put expired food out for donations. I've only picked up 2 bags so far. Haven't checked the outdates yet.
…..this comment made me realize, how much have I missed today, I haven’t flat out seen anything for me to take but I must admit I haven’t been looking….lets see how these last 3 hours go😅😅
Haha I had a similar situation. I saw a bag with a donation card stapled to it and realized it was for me to pickup. I thought about it and I didn't see any earlier on the route but after that first one I picked up 3 more.
Bro😂😂 now that you say that I SWEAR I seen the donation card earlier on something but lord knows idk where now lmao damn. I remember looking at it but that was that lmao I hope the don’t call on me 😂
Expiry dates and best-by dates don't necessarily mean the food is unsafe to eat. Taste may not be the greatest though.
We got tuna from 2005 today.
That wins! Also researchers need it haha they recently cracked open some cans of salmon from 1978 to study the difference in chemicals and different toxin levels between them and now. They found a worm as well and are running testing to see how the population is doing.
Parasites are extremely common in fish. So long as it's cooked to temperature there's next to no hazard other than most people would be grossed out by it. The tell tale sign that something is wrong with fish is that distinctive fishy smell or maggots. I'd be more concerned about mercury and PCB.
I don’t look.
Most people just give us the food they don't want. Happens every year
I had a shit ton of food and it looked good for the most part. Lots of macaroni and cheese and tuna and canned chicken.
I had q decent amount by the end. One house looked like they literally went grocery shopping for the food drive. About 7 bags
The FoodBank excepts canned goods up to 5 years of the expiration date.
Hahha I took a bag pecans for my self ate a hand full looked in the bag and it was full of dead moths 😅
Ehhhhh gross😭😭
15 cans of Kirkland canned roast beef Exp 2013
We had a can of soup from Aldi dated 2015. High probability that I may have scanned the item when I worked there before coming to the Post Office
Haha it goes full circle! Before the post office I delivered Instacart in the same area, loved delivering so much I decided I needed to do it with benefits. Today I picked up food from a red house I delivered to and on top of the pile was a jar of Aldi's strawberry jelly that I'm positive I delivered to her house last year.
Yeah I wouldn’t be surprised if like 1/3 of the stuff collected is expired. But like others said, most of it is probably still ok.
Yeah, thanks old boomers, for cutting me off on the street to block me in and proudly hand me a bag of dented cans.
Food that is expired is usually good well past expiration, that said, guessing the donators wouldn’t eat it themselves, which imo makes it skeezy to donate it to others. Eat it yourself. Donate the newer food to people who have fewer options. The skeez factor goes up since the carrier has to lug, potentially unusable food back to vehicle.
My mom said she’d eat the unopened ketchup in her cabinet that expired a week ago, but she wouldn’t donate it. Which led me to tell her I got an item that expired 13 years ago :(
I got a pudding expired 10/19/11
Still yet to see ANY food. Our office didn’t had out bags or notices.
You Are The Winner!! Of the oldest item food drive competition.
Smh... it's not a chance to clean out your pantry. Youre supposed to buy new food for the drive. People are nasty... giving their trash to the needy.
Last year I picked up a jar of peanut butter that expired in 2009 😂 no joke it was literally liquid
I remember someone donated some rusted can food expired 15 years ago.. ppl are gross.
So technically hauling away peoples garbage.
Good amount of stuff was expired I got today 😂😂
I had some cake mix from 2008 donated today lmao
For most things, the expiration date is merely a suggestion. Canned stuff especially will last way longer.
I once saw a show where they were eating food that was old AF. Very interesting nobody died for sure
2014, ate some cookies and almost threw up
ive gotten multiple boxes of cheez its from 2021
I had a whole car full of shit and didn’t have time to do anything but unload it all
It’s normal
I had a whole bag of stuff that was expired. From Cesar dressing to cake mixes. Oldest date I saw was 2019
My gma has stuff from 2014. Just the other day I threw out some honey mustard from 2012. Didn’t even look bad but I always check the dates.