Found an old canned tuna that’s a month (or a year) past its date? You’re probably wondering how long does canned tuna last, or if it goes bad at all.
If that’s you, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll cover:
the shelf life of canned tuna (and if the best-by date on the label is useful or not)
spoilage of canned tuna (and how to tell if yours is safe to eat or not)
storing the can and the leftovers (in case you want to make sure you’re doing it right)
Interested? Let’s dive in.
How Long Does Canned Tuna Last?
Unopened canned tuna is pretty much safe to eat for years past the date on the label, as long as the can is intact. Once you open it, canned tuna lasts 3 to 5 days in the fridge.
Canned food, especially store-bought, lasts for years, and canned tuna is no exception.
While some reputable sources state that it lasts forever, I probably wouldn’t dare to open a can that’s 30 years old. But if it’s “expired” for only a few years, it’s no big deal (at least for me).
Info
The date on the label of canned tuna refers to food quality, not safety.
Now let’s touch upon quality. While the producers assure you that the product will retain quality for 3 to 5 years (depending on the brand) of canning, there’s little reason it shouldn’t keep it much longer.
The tuna is in a (pretty much) sterile environment, sothere’s nothing fishy going on inside. Therefore, a 9-year-old can shouldn’t go bad or even taste much worse than a 4-year-old one.
The can is damaged, swollen, leaking, rusting, or dented.If there’s anything wrong with the can, discard it. Most likely, something went wrong during the canning process; that’s all. Consider it bad luck.
The can has exploded during opening or made a loud popping sound.Carbonation in canned tuna means it’s no good. It’s not champagne.
The tuna gives an off or acrid smell.An off smell is a sure sign it’s not safe to eat.
Color has changed.Usually, canned tuna is between light brown and light pink, sometimes has a bit of a reddish hue. If it’s dark brown or even black, it’s no good.
Tuna leftovers sit in the fridge for more than 5 days.If they sit refrigerated for that long, discard them no matter what.
If none of the above is the case,give that tuna a taste, and decide if it’s okay to eat or not based on that. Your taste buds don’t lie.
If you just opened the can, the fish will most likely be okay, and ready to use in your tuna salad (here’s how long tuna salad lasts).
How To Store Canned Tuna
Keep unopened canned tuna at room temperature and away from sources of heat. Once you open it, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Canned foods don’t need much in terms of storage – just toss them in a cabinet in the pantry or kitchen, and you’re good to go. There’s no need for refrigeration or anything – the can will make sure the food stays safe.
But remember that storing cans in places where the temperature exceeds 90°F (or 32°C) or freezing them is a bad idea. Either can compromise the seals, and you know how that ends.
Tip
If it’s a hot summer, it’s probably better to move your canned food from the kitchen (where it’s often warm) to the pantry or somewhere else that maintains a slightly lower temperature.
One more thing.
Most of us forget aboutwashing the cans before opening them. By doing that, you prevent any bacteria that’s on the can from contaminating the food. That’s especially important if you need to store the tuna for a few days.
When it comes to leftovers, put them in a plastic container and into the fridge. That’s all.
Shelf Life and Storage of Canned Tuna Summary
Hope you found this article useful. Here’s a short recap of what we’ve covered:
How long does unopened canned tuna last? Unopened canned tuna lasts for years past the printed date as long as the can stays intact. The tuna retains best quality for 3 to 5 years of canning, but stays safe way past that period.
How long is canned tuna good for after expiration date? There’s no way to tell. Some sources say that canned tuna is safe pretty much indefinitely (assuming that the can isn’t compromised), so as long as you’re comfortable with the date, and the tuna seems to be perfectly fine, you should be good to go.
How long does opened canned tuna last? Once you open the can, tuna lasts for 3 to 5 days in the fridge before it’s no longer safe to eat.
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“The shelf life of canned tuna can vary depending on a few factors, including packaging, processing methods, and storage conditions, but generally, canned tuna has a long shelf life and can remain safe to eat for an extended period, which can range from 2 to 5 years, or even more,” Best explains.
A good rule of thumb for canned seafood, such as canned salmon or canned tuna, is that it can be safely kept in a cool dark pantry for 5 years. But really, as long as the seal remains unbroken, a tin can last nearly indefinitely.
Now that you know what fresh fish should look and smell like, you'll be better equipped to sniff out spoiled fish. "If it smells pungently fishy and putrid (and doesn't make you want to eat it!), trust your nose. Its texture may also become slimy, less firm and more mushy, and it may turn gray. Shine is fine.
That's because, while canned tuna, especially light varieties, has relatively low average levels of mercury, individual cans can sometimes have much higher levels. “From can to can, mercury levels can spike in unpredictable ways that might jeopardize the health of a fetus,” says James E.
Seafood should never be left out over two hours. You can store commercially canned fish, such as tuna, for up to five years in the pantry; home canned fish, only one year. For more information, you may call the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) toll-free at 888-723-3366 or go to FDA's website.
Smell: Fresh tuna should have a mild, ocean-like scent. If it smells fishy or sour, it's not fresh. Color: The flesh of fresh tuna should be a deep, dark red color. If it's brown or gray, it's not fresh.
The FDA recommends consuming fish lower in mercury. For tuna varieties, skipjack earns the Best Choice label from the FDA, while yellowfin and albacore receive the Good Choice label. The FDA suggests avoiding bigeye tuna, which has the highest levels of mercury.
Out of the two most popular types of canned tuna — chunk light tuna and chunk white tuna — chunk white tuna has the highest levels of mercury. Mercury levels in chunk white tuna, such as albacore, can be up to three times higher than those found in "light" canned tuna products.
If you'll be flavoring your tinned fish, reach for water-packed. You may believe that, nutritionally, the better choice is tuna packed in water because it contains fewer calories than tuna packed in oil. Tuna in oil, however, is higher in bone-healthy vitamin D and selenium, which helps your body fight infections.
Opened peanut butter will generally go bad after about nine months in the fridge. While it should stay good longer in the fridge as opposed to stored in the pantry, it will go bad eventually. Once you refrigerate peanut butter, don't forget about it indefinitely.
“The shelf life of canned tuna can vary depending on a few factors, including packaging, processing methods, and storage conditions, but generally, canned tuna has a long shelf life and can remain safe to eat for an extended period, which can range from 2 to 5 years, or even more,” Best explains.
Serve skipjack tuna (also called chunk light tuna) in moderation, and you can serve albacore and bigeye tuna in very small amounts and on occasion, but keep in mind that these varieties can be very high in mercury.
Biology. Pacific bluefin tunas reach maturity at approximately 5 years of age and can live up to 26 years, although the average lifespan is about 15 years. Adults are approximately 1.5 meters (4 feet 11 inches) long and weigh about 60 kilograms (130 pounds).
At Wild Planet, the tuna is either salted, or put in the can just by itself. From there, the cans are placed in a special cooker that heats the cans to a high temperature very quickly under pressure. Through this process, the tuna is vacuum sealed and sterilized in the cans so that it's shelf stable and safe to eat.
Introduction: My name is Saturnina Altenwerth DVM, I am a witty, perfect, combative, beautiful, determined, fancy, determined person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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