Guides › How long does food last › Canned goods, low acid (such as meat, poultry, fish, gravy, stew, soups, beans, carrots, corn, pasta, peas, potatoes, spinach)

How long does canned goods, low acid (such as meat, poultry, fish, gravy, stew, soups, beans, carrots, corn, pasta, peas, potatoes, spinach) last?

Canned goods, low acid (such as meat, poultry, fish, gravy, stew, soups, beans, carrots, corn, pasta, peas, potatoes, spinach) keeps for about 2 to 5 years in the pantry. Counted from the date of purchase.

WhereHow long
Pantry2 to 5 years
Refrigerator, after opening3 to 4 days

Canned items will be safe to eat well past the ‘use-by’ or ‘best by’ date as long as the can shows no dents, rust, or swelling.

Storage times are the USDA FoodKeeper guidance for quality and safety, not a guarantee; a printed use-by date on the package comes first. Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper (CC0), fetched 2026-10-27, category Shelf Stable Foods.

How Known uses thisWhen a receipt lists canned goods, low acid (such as meat, poultry, fish, gravy, stew, soups, beans, carrots, corn, pasta, peas, potatoes, spinach), Known estimates an expiry from the purchase date and typical shelf life and shows which rule it used, for example "7-day rule". Shelf-stable staples get no date at all.

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