Researcher/writer, Michelle Salater, recently shared some timely information about how much attention we should pay to expiration dates or best-by dates. Her focus was on how much these dates matter for long-term food storage (aka emergency food pantry).

What we’re talking about here is shelf life. And her overall conclusion is these dates do matter, but that there’s no need to fret over this issue.

She says research shows that it’s possible to build an emergency food pantry with food that is far past the traditional best-by dates. That is, the food is safe to eat IF proper storage methods have been applied.

Shelf life is defined in the following two ways:

BEST-IF-USED-BY shelf life – Length of time food retains most of its original taste and nutrition.

LIFE-SUSTAINING shelf life – Length of time food preserves life, without becoming inedible.

Most foods available in the grocery store are dated with a best-if-used-by date that ranges from a few weeks to a few years. However, scientific studies have determined that, when properly stored, many foods have a life-sustaining shelf life far beyond the best-if-used-by date. While it may not taste quite as fresh, it still is edible and has nutritional value.

Another good thing to know is that you can extend the LIFE SUSTAINING shelf life of many foods using any of the following preservation techniques:

FREEZING: Bread is a good candidate for this. Just tightly cover it in foil or plastic wrap, place it in a sealed container, and freeze. Butter, broths, and pasta sauces freeze well, also.

FREEZE-DRYING: Obviously the drawback to freezing is the need for electricity. Plus, freezing food extends the shelf life by just a few months. However, freeze-drying, which freezes and dries the food out, extends the shelf life for years. Most foods do well with freeze-drying (including fruit, vegetables, and meat). While you can do your own freeze-drying, a freeze dryer is a BIG ticket purchase. A more budget-friendly option is to buy freeze-dried foods from an emergency food supplier (such as Emergency Essentials, found at www.beprepared.com).

DEHYDRATING: Dehydrating can extend shelf life up to 30 years. You can dehydrate food using an oven, a dehydrator, or even just using the sun. Once the food is dehydrated, you need to store it safely, such as placing it in secure buckets with oxygen absorbers.

Storing securely (storing in the right containers and in the right place) is the most crucial step in extending the shelf life of foods. Applying the HALT method is the very best way to store securely:

• Humidity: Avoid humid spaces.
• Air: Seal your food in airtight containers with oxygen absorbers to keep as much air away from your food as possible.
• Light: Avoid light. Store your food in containers, buckets, or Mylar bags, in dark spaces of the home so that it won’t be exposed to light.
• Temperature: The best environment to extend shelf life is a cool and dry place at temperatures between 55°F and 70°F.

Finally, from HALT, plan to use OXYGEN ABSORBERS. Oxygen absorbers are little packets of iron powder packaged in a material that absorbs oxygen and moisture (the two worst nutrient deteriorators). You can purchase large amounts of these little packets from any preparedness or food storage site (again, www.beprepared.com is one source).

For me, the most important take-away from Michelle’s research is the fact that our properly stored canned goods will sustain life far beyond their stamped best-by date. And in an on-going emergency, I bet we’ll be glad to have them!