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So, you're hungry late one night, and all you can find is an old, expired can of beans or tomato soup in the back of a pantry. Is it safe to eat these? Do canned foods ever really expire? Let's find out!

Understanding Canned Foods

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There's good news for those who find some sweet corn or other canned good that have expired: it's still good to eat! Janell Goodwin, a technical information specialist with the U.S. Department Of Agriculture's Food Safety And Inspection Service, explained that the "best before" or "best by" dates only refer to when the food will be at its highest quality. "Due to tightly controlled procedures of commercial canning, cans that are in good condition are safe indefinitely and will never make you sick, even if the best-by date passes during home storage," Goodwin said. Not even cans a decade past their expiration date need to be thrown out! "Yes, a can that is 10-plus years old that is still in good condition is technically safe to eat," she added.

Why don't canned foods ever go bad? Well, it's all because of the fantastic technology of commercial canning, which protects the food in a bacteria and air-free environment. "It's a high-heat process, so canning preserves food and prevents the growth of any bad organisms," said Sherri Rosenblat, a spokesperson for the Can Manufacturers Institute. "Canned food is forever safe, but it's a quality issue when you have a best-buy or use-by date. You should use it within a couple years for the best quality of the product."

They Never Expire

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So, why do canned food even have expiration dates on them? And why don't stores keep them? Well, as stated, the expiration dates help let people know when canned food will taste the best. So, while stores don't carry them past the best by date, they don't just throw them away. "Some stores may reduce these products for quick sale, noting they are close dated," said Greg Ferrara, executive vice president of National Grocers Association.

However, there are some things to keep in mind about canned goods. This all depends on the can not have any damage - any holes in the can could lead to food poisoning. There's also a rule of thumb to remember. If the canned food has milky liquid inside or even squirts when opening, it's unsafe to consume. It's not so much about the expiration date when it comes to canned food, but the condition of the food itself.

Sources: Food Network, The Takeout, The Today Show.