Do food banks accept expired food?

marlasinger

I have quite a few tins and packets of food in the cupboard that I will never eat (and I don't know why I bought them!). I plan on donating them to the local food bank, but does anyone know if they accept food past it's best before date?

I'm a bit embarrassed by how out of date some of it is (think 2011 :eek:). I'd hate for it to go to waste, but I don't want an 'embarrassing moment' where they tell me it's too old. I can donate via Sainsbury's apparently - has anyone done this? Do I just drop them into a box at the store, or does someone actually look at each tin?

Own_My_Own

No they don't except food dated 2011.

fionajbanana

Its still edible. Ate a tin of beans which somehow escaped my rotation dated Oct 2011 the other week and I am still here.

VfM4meplse

fionajbanana wrote: »

Its still edible. Ate a tin of beans which somehow escaped my rotation dated Oct 2011 the other week and I am still here.

Yes, but who knows what will happen next week?

marlasinger

I know it's still edible, it's just nothing that anyone in our household will ever eat. Tinned peaches, apricots, broad beans, sliced carrots...just revolting, and I must have been going through a phase when I bought them!

evangeline

I have just come in from my volunteering session at the Foodbank. We are unable to issue anything out of date , even by a day. In many cases the item will be perfectly fine , but those are the rules.

pawsies

Might as well try if you would otherwise chuck it?

Just don't highlight the date on the tin, they may not check.

marlasinger

I couldn't find the blimmin' donation box at Sainsbury's anyway!

Have found someone at work with chickens who will gladly take the food. :j

Snowy_Owl

If i have anything our of date, I would be creative with myself & hubby rather than donate. If we fall ill, our fault!!

I donate to the foodbank whenever thay have a stall in our local supermarket.I would tend to buy a "meal" - bag of pasta, pasta sauce, tinned meat as well as the teabags / other simples. I may scrimp and save but I know I'd appreciate this kind of help if needed.

For donating - I've always been for preferring to donate practical items or my time. It works for me.......

sharpy2010

I ate a tin of plum tomatoes two years out of date once. I had a reasonably bad stomach ache the next day, which may or may not have been due to the tomatoes.

I'd say generally though most food will be ok miles out of the expiry date.

duchy

fionajbanana wrote: »

Its still edible. Ate a tin of beans which somehow escaped my rotation dated Oct 2011 the other week and I am still here.

So eat in yourself and donate in date food to the food bank.