Older canned food cans can be a treasure, keep them.

Some customers ask us what we do with those canned foods that we have left forgotten in the pantry and at some point we find them and we wonder if they are in good condition and if they can be consumed or we have to get rid of them and waste them. The expiration date is a piece of information that consumer law requires to be indicated on all highly perishable foods such as meat, fish, dairy products, etc., and informs us when a food is no longer safe for consumption from a sanitary point of view.
These products should not be consumed when the expiration date has passed.
On the other hand, the best-before date applies to other foods that are not as perishable as the above, and informs about the time until which the organoleptic characteristics of that food, such as odor, flavor, texture, color and aroma remain intact as when that food was packaged.
But this date does not determine that the food is unfit for consumption from the sanitary point of view, but only that its characteristics may have changed.
It is therefore clear that even if the date of consumption has expired, that food is good for consumption. So, can products for preferential consumption always be consumed? No, we must basically take into account that the packaged product, when we take it out of the package, has its characteristics such as smell, taste, color, texture, etc., in good condition and with good appearance, and if some of these aspects are not in a good condition, that product should be discarded. The same happens with canned food, Yes, the same thing happens, but we should also observe other aspects that can help us to identify that this food is not suitable for consumption, such as, for example, that the can is intact and does not have any dents or dents. A can of canned food that is bulging or swollen may have botulinum toxin, and therefore should be discarded immediately. But we can ask ourselves, if the passage of time in a canned food after the best-before date is going to worsen that food. And the answer is no, just like other foods, such as wine or cheese, the passage of time can improve the quality characteristics of a canned fish or seafood.

The canned sardines in olive oil, mature in cans over time and acquire a different flavor to the most recent packaged, flavor that are highly appreciated by some lovers of canned food that seek them and even quoted upwards in price.
At Ballester’s you can find some of these tins of sardines such as those of the following brands CucaDaporta, Ramón Peña or Ramón Franco, which compete with other equally excellent brands such as Legacy of Lola o La Góndolaof Portuguese origin.
All of them offer a selected product, by size and flavor, and they are also very appreciated for their canned cockles and clams. The passage of time makes the seafood tastier and more authentic, so they are also very appreciated.
At Casa Ballester we have a very good collection of canned cockles and clams from Galicia, from the most recognized brands such as Daporta, Arlequín, Portomar, Mariscadora, Dardo, Ramón Peña, José Peña, Legado de Lola, etc., and we try to identify the campaigns of origin. As an anecdote we tell that sometimes we have served cockles whose best before date had passed, and before the notice that the client has made us, we have advised them their consumption because they were going to improve the flavor of other more recent ones, to which finally they have given us the reason.
Our advice is that they try and identify the brands and cans that they like the most, and that they buy a sufficient quantity of units so that it lasts in time and they can appreciate the improvements of its characteristics with the passage of time.

Casa Ballester offers more than 100 types of canned seafood: cockles, clams, razor clams, mussels, scallops, octopus, etc., for your enjoyment and delight, let us advise you and buy your cans of seafood for these upcoming dates.