Have you ever wondered what the true shelf lives were for the foods that you buy? Food shelf life doesn’t always follow the “sell by” date or even the expiration date. Rather, food shelf life depends more on the environmental conditions in which it is stored. For instance, conditions such as light, oxygenation, temperature as well as humidity may speed up the deterioration process or lower it depending on how hot or cold, humid or dry conditions are.

Most perishable foods deteriorate or expire simply due to the bacteria activity within that particular food as well as the oxidation process that causes a food to lose its flavor or color. For example, if you leave a piece of chicken out on the counter for a few days, you’ll see it begin to change color and odor and probably see the bacteria begin to grow on it. It should be noted that the longer shelf life that some food items have, the more likely (not always) that there are chemicals or some form of preservatives that are helping it to stay that way. It is not advisable to eat too many foods with a long shelf life because they are not as fresh and do not contain as many nutrients as your body needs.

Foods With a Long Shelf Life:

The following list was taken from a study done at Princeton University in which they came up with a list of long shelf-life foods. You may find the results interesting!

• Dehydrated Foods: 3-15 months for veggies| 1-6 months for meat |1-24 months for fruit
• Nonfat Dry Milk: 12 months
• Breakfast Cereals: 6-18 months
• Pasta: 9-36 months (if it contains egg solids)|24-48 months for macaroni and spaghetti
• Frozen Concentrated Juices: 18-30 months
• Frozen Fruits & Veggies: 6-12 months for beef|4-12 months for pork|2-8 months for fish
• Frozen Convenience Foods: 6-12 months
• Canned Fruits & Veggies: 12-36 months
• Coffee: 9 months for ground, roasted or vacuum-packed|18-36 months for instant coffee
• Tea: 18 months

Remember, how you store your food is key to its longevity in your pantry or refrigerator, so make sure you follow the directions on the individual product for how to properly store it!
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Tags: Health, Healthy Eating, Healthy Living //