In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleDo Canned Beans Expire?Can You Use Expired Canned Beans?Potential RisksHow to Tell If Your Canned Beans Have Gone Bad
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Do Canned Beans Expire?
Can You Use Expired Canned Beans?
Potential Risks
How to Tell If Your Canned Beans Have Gone Bad
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Photo:Getty Images. EatingWell design.
Getty Images. EatingWell design.
Sometimes when you don’t know what to do for dinner, a rummage through your pantry is your best bet. Scrounging up some kind of meal using canned beans and rice could work—especially if you want aprotein-packed dinner. But that dream of a burrito bowl or soup for dinner slowly fades when you check the expiration date on those canned beans. They are expired. They aren’t safe to eat, right?
Here’s the truth: You’re probably totally fine. In fact, many pantry items are shelf-stable, and dates on some packaged foods signify peak freshness and taste, rather than spoilage.As long as the food was stored properly, that can of beans should be safe to eat. With a few exceptions, of course.
We spoke with food safety experts to get all of the details on how to know if your canned beans have gone bad or if they’re perfectly fine to consume.
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When it comes to canned beans, the date listed on a can indicates its peak quality. It’s typically not the date the food expires and goes bad.
So what does “quality” mean? “Typically, expiration dates on cans of beans signify the date at which the taste, texture, flavor and other quality factors have deteriorated to a level unacceptable to the consumer,” adds food scientistBryan Quoc Le, Ph.D., author of the book150 Food Science Questions Answered. This means an expired can of beans may not be at its best, but it may still be edible, he says.
Yes! In short, it is safe to eat expired canned beans, as long as they have been stored properly. “Cans of beans undergo a process of heat treatment known as retorting, where the temperature of the can is raised well above the boiling point of water,” explains Quoc Le. “This process sterilizes the contents of the can,” he says.
As long as the can doesn’t have any significant damage that could compromise the vacuum seal, then the beans are safe to consume, saysMitzi Baum, CEO of Stop Foodborne Illness.
There are potential issues with foodborne illness in some instances. Plus, expired beans may not taste amazing. Here’s more about the two potential risks.
Foodborne Illness
Damage to the can may break the seal that helps keep canned beans shelf-stable, which can result in contaminated beans. In rare situations, a canned or preserved food that has been compromised may contain a bacteria calledClostridium botulinum,which produces the toxin botulinum. In some instances, eating this toxin can cause botulism, a serious illness of the nervous system that can lead to difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis and, in severe cases, death.
Altered Taste and Texture
Sure, they’re still edible, but because the dates provided on the canned beans are meant to signify the peak freshness and best quality, if it’s past that date, the texture and taste of the beans might not be up to the highest standards.
How to Store Your Canned Beans
Keep them in a pantry or on a shelf. “Canned beans typically last for about two to five years if stored in a cool and dry place,” says Taylor. Of course, once those canned beans are open, you’ll want to refrigerate them and consume them within four days. You can also freezeleftover beansin an airtight container or a plastic storage bag for up to six months.
The first sign that your expired canned beans have gone bad is from a quick glance on the outside. Any can that has been punctured or dented or is rusty, leaking or bulging could impact the quality of the beans. It may also be an indication that the seal in the can, which keeps the contents self-stable, is broken, increasing the risk of foodborne illness.
Is It Safe to Eat from a Dented Can?
Next, if your can of beans doesn’t have any of these problems on the outside and it looks perfectly normal, then you’ll want to inspect the inside. Open it up and give it a thorough scan. Any beans that show mold or discoloration—or that smell off—should be discarded.
Nevertheless, if the can has not been compromised and the beans on the inside look perfectly normal, and it’s within two to five years of the printed date, then they still should be good to consume.
After that, though, Taylor recommends tossing it for the sake of food safety. “While there is a push to reduce food waste and a temptation to use food beyond these manufacturers’ dates, it is important to take caution—there could still be a food safety risk to anything consumed after these dates,” he says.
The Bottom Line
Even though canned beans have an expiration date, that doesn’t mean the beans have spoiled. Canned beans go through a process of sterilization and are vacuum-sealed, allowing them to have a long shelf life. Dates provided on the can signify peak freshness, but canned beans are often still good to use two to five years after their printed date.
However, if the can has not been stored properly or the vacuum seal has been compromised (dents, rusting, leaks, bulging) and the beans smell or look funky, then they are no longer good to eat.
Otherwise, if that can is good to go, toss the beans into one of these20 Easy Soup Recipes That Use a Can of Beans.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture.Before You Toss Food, Wait. Check It Out!U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Botulism.About Botulism.
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture.Before You Toss Food, Wait. Check It Out!U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Botulism.About Botulism.
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
U.S. Department of Agriculture.Before You Toss Food, Wait. Check It Out!U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Botulism.About Botulism.
U.S. Department of Agriculture.Before You Toss Food, Wait. Check It Out!
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Botulism.About Botulism.
