Is It OK to Eat Expired Canned Tomato Products?
The following information is about canned tomato products only. Tomato products are a high acid food. Other products, such as green beans or peas, are low acid foods and the information regarding high acid and low acid foods are not the same. Understanding food expiration dates is an important part of food safety and quality. Knowing how to read the dates can help you make informed decisions about your canned food products and will keep you and your family safe from potential food-borne illnesses.
What to Know Before Eating Expired Canned Tomato Products
Does the can have an expiration date or does it have a sell- by, use-by or best-by date? Sell-by dates indicate when a product should be pulled from store shelves. Use-by dates tell the consumer when food is no longer safe to consume. Best-by or ‘best before dates’ are guarantees that the product will have the best quality if used by that date.
What does the can look like? The condition of the can is one important thing to look at. Inspect it before consuming the canned food. Is it rusty? Is it dented? Both of these conditions could compromise the integrity of the can. Shallow dents in the side of the can are generally safe. Dents in the seam or rim on either end of the can may have broken the hermetic seal and are not safe. These types of dents can allow bacteria to enter the can and they also have the propensity to leak. If the can is swollen or leaking, definitely discard it, regardless of the date on the can. Because it can alert you of a defect, the can is probably the safest container on the planet.
When you open a canned tomato product that is past its date, take a look and a sniff. If it smells off or has an altered color, throw it away.
Be prudent. A really good looking can of tomatoes, not swollen, leaking, dented, or rusted, that is a few months past its date, is more than likely okay. But if the can is years past its date, toss it out and purchase a new one.
Guidelines for Storing Canned Tomato Products
Red Gold recommends that you store opened canned tomato products and juices in a sealed plastic or glass container for no more than 7 days in the refrigerator. Remember, our products contain NO PRESERVATIVES. The most important thing to understand about storage is that cans are preserving containers, but once the seal is broken, cans are not meant to be storage containers.
Also, store all canned goods in a cool, dark and dry area. Dampness may cause rust, compromising the can integrity. Storage temperatures should be between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures that exceed 100 degrees can be harmful. Conversely, freezing cans will cause them to swell, breaking the seal and allowing the food to spoil. If you are using mason jars, be sure to use best practices to preserve maximum freshness.
Rotate the canned foods in your pantry so the oldest is used first. We refer to this as LIFO (Last In First Out). Alternatively, you can use a rotating canned food system.
Don’t store canned good by stoves, furnaces, or places with direct sunlight or under sinks where the environment is damp.
Conclusion
It's important to pay attention to the expiration dates of canned tomato products to make sure that you are consuming safe and fresh products. By knowing the different kinds of expiration dates, as well as how to read canned food labels, you can be a more informed and safer consumer. Eating expired food can cause serious health risks, so it's important to always check products before purchase and before consumption.
For four generations, the Red Gold family has been working with local farm families to grow the highest-quality, best-tasting tomatoes in the world. What began humbly as a father and daughter simply trying to help their country – it’s now a full-time operation with over 40 partnerships with Midwestern growers. We’ve grown tremendously through the years, but one thing has stayed the same; the family canning the tomatoes.
At Red Gold, we understand the importance of prioritizing food safety. Our facilities have the highest safety and quality certifications attainable (SQF III, NON-GMO Project Verified, Orthodox Union Kosher, USDA DOVS and USDA Organic). Our facilities are the best and safest in the industry and we only process one thing...tomatoes!
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