Rice noodles, pasta and canned foods - 4 years out of date?

mrs_sparrow

I am having a spring clean of my cupboards and have found rice noodles dated 2009 and wholewheat spaghetti pasta dated 2008.

I've also got 2010 canned/jarred foods and sauces - is there anything I shouldn't eat from a can, past it's date?

Is it edible?? My head is saying yes but as I have children to feed I thought I had better ask to be sure.

valk_scot

Packet and canned foods have a Best Before date on them, not a Use By date. Best Before means exactly that, the food will be in perfect condition up till then, after that there may be a slight deterioration in colour or texture or something but it won't harm you to eat it.

I wouldn't even think twice in the case of dried pasta and noodles. Just eat them. Have a quick look at the tins and jars though...rusty or blown tins should be discarded, jars where the safety button feature at the top has blown outwards should be discarded too. Once you open either sort check the contents with a quick sniff to make sure things smell as they should. When you empty out the tin, check the inside lining of the tin isn't corroded or damaged. 99% of the time all will be fine though, even with tins much older than your stores, and you can use them quite happily.

blossomhill_2

These are low cost items - why chance your health?
The dry goods may well have weevils which although not a health risk ... well I wouldn't eat them if I had a choice
If you haven't needed them over the past few years do you really need them now?

Beetlemama

No prob at all with the dried goods, but I personally wouldn't do cans and jars that far out of date, I gave my son a can of barely dented macaroni once (upon a time) and he was sick that night - not withstanding he had the can because he didn't want to eat much because he didn't feel well, I sat all night thinking "What if I've poisoned him?" so now I don't do old or damaged cans at all, even though I'm sure 99.99% are absolutely fine, I'd just never get over it if I hurt one of us being tightassed. I'm with Blossomhill, unless we were in utter crisis (end of the world etc, since there's always food bank if you're just without food) and the benefit outweighed the risk, I personally wouldn't do it.

Not telling you what to do, just adding my opinion.

xxx

mrs_sparrow

Thanks Val, I did realise about the BB and UB - it was more that it is 4 years. I am currently making bread with all my out of date flour, yeast and oils I have found lurking, if I do not post again after this week, you know why, LOL.

Jennie_2

blossomhill wrote: »

If you haven't needed them over the past few years do you really need them now?

Maybe she didn't need them before but does now.

All I would say is inspect the dried goods carefully - weevils should be visible to the naked eye. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weevil

mrs_sparrow

blossomhill wrote: »

These are low cost items - why chance your health?
The dry goods may well have weevils which although not a health risk ... well I wouldn't eat them if I had a choice
If you haven't needed them over the past few years do you really need them now?

Why? Because if I chucked everything out it would be a good £30 to replace them all. I've found loads of stuff at the back of the cupboard and we are on an economy drive at the moment so want to use everything I can rather than just chuck it away. And every penny counts so this is why I asked here.

If I see weevils then obviously we will not eat them.

This is the old style board and even I remember a time when they did not even put dates on certain things. We do eat other 'use before' anything up to a 10 days after it runs out of date and unless it smells funny, we eat it, and my kids always escape the bugs that are going around the school - it cannot be a co-incidence!!

However.... 4 years is quite a difference to 10 days so I wanted to ask.

gibson123

Before eating the rice noodles or pasta you should ask yourself this question.

Has the cupboard been totally damp free for the 4 years? What I mean is has there been no condensation or damp or spillages in the cupboard. if you feel confident them go for it, if not them err on the cautious side and chuck them. The tins if they are not blown or rusted should be fine.

blossomhill_2

I quite understand where you are coming from

Our DD spent many many months in hospital from a stomach bug after being robust for years and if we could turn back the clock we would, because the long term effects are very serious even though she was lucky enough to survive

mummybearx

I ate a tin of peaches the other week that was bb 2007. They were still delicious! We had a glass jar of schezuan (sp??) sauce last week as well that was bb 2011, again it was lovely to eat.

Personally, if it smells funny or looks funny I wouldn't eat it. If not then I would just eat it x

Soworried

Our 2010 chicken chassuer a few weeks ago was lovely. I would use them as long as the tins are not blown and the packets have no splits in.