How Long Should Canned Food be Kept?

Store canned foods and other shelf stable products in a cool, dry place.
Never put them above the stove, under the sink, in a damp garage or basement, or any place exposed to high or low temperature extremes.
Store high acid foods, such as tomatoes and other fruit, up to 18 months.
Low acid foods such as meat and vegetables can be kept 2 to 5 years.
While extremely rare, a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum is the worst danger in canned foods.
NEVER USE food from containers that show signs of “botulism”, leaking, bulging, rusting or badly dented cans; cracked jars, jars with loose or bulging lids; canned food with a foul odor or any container that spurts liquid when opening. DO NOT TASTE THE FOOD! Even the tiniest amount of botulinum toxin can be deadly.