A visitor to our website recently submitted a question that has been asked a lot recently.

I have a question about shelf life. I am seeing different information on the length of time that we can store food. Does it depend on the brand of emergency food that I buy? If I can my own food will there be a different shelf life than the food I buy? Where can I find the most accurate shelf-life information?

Shelf life calculation is an inexact science at best, because so many factors go into it and there are so many different interpretations of what shelf life means, especially when we’re talking about dry foods packed for emergency storage. Manufacturers tend to label their foods with a “worst case” expiration date. But when you store food in optimal conditions and accept that slight losses of quality are okay for emergencies, a much different picture emerges.

For instance, powdered milk has long been thought to have a shelf life of 3-5 years because under poor storage conditions it can begin to turn brown and lose nutritional value at that point. Yet recent research has shown that under good storage conditions it can last 15-30 years and maybe longer, with very little loss of quality. (We have 16-year-old powdered milk in our own storage that looks, smells, and tastes like brand new.)

Name brands and do-it-yourself versus commercial packaging have far less to do with extending shelf life than proper storage.

The biggest factors in extending shelf life are using proper containers and storing in a proper location. For years our storage motto has been “Keep it cool, keep it dry, keep it dark.” You can greatly lengthen the storage life of dry products by keeping them at temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, at least an inch away from masonry surfaces such as cement, drywall, and brick, and away from bright lighting. Sealed metal cans and airtight heavy food-grade plastic buckets make the best storage containers.

You can find some general guidelines on our shelf life page.

I hasten to add that these techniques are not as effective on products that contain significant amounts of liquid, oil, and fat. Brown rice, flax, vegetable oil, shortening, and non-dry canned foods must be rotated before they go rancid Anything in a bulging container and anything that smells bad should be thrown out.

Research on food storage shelf life is ongoing, especially at Brigham Young University. For further information, you may wish to check out these links:

Home food storage lasts 30 years or more

BYU Research on Food Storage
Food Storage Order Form

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About the Author

Jared Sorensen is president of Provident Living® and has over 20 years experience in the field of self-reliant living.

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