packaged food expiration date

so how long can you keep flour? does it matter if the package is opened to the fresh air or sealed in a container?

 

My family has always been of the belief that you should only buy it as you use it-what we talking about here-two bux??

 

im pretty sure that keeping it sealed will make it last a good bit longer.

 

Expired popcorn does not pop too well and the kernels that do pop taste stale.
Mac n cheese with the non-powered cheese stuff, the cheese starts to separate and will not liquidify and mix very well.


Those little bugs are called Pantry Weevils.
http://www.pestproducts.com/weevils.htm and from wikipedia...
Weevils are often found in dry foods including nuts and seeds, cereal and grain products. In the domestic setting, they are most likely to be observed when a bag of flour is opened, although they will happily infest most types of grain including oats, barley and breakfast cereals. Their presence is often indicated by the granules of the infested item sticking together in strings, as if caught in a cobweb. If ingested, E. coli infection and other various diseases can be contracted from weevils, depending on their diet.

 

My policy is always, "when in doubt, throw it out." The mayo clinic says 18 months for acidic foods (e.g. tomatoes) or 2 to 5 years for low acid foods (meat, vegetables). Some dates are expiration dates and some are best-used-by dates. If the can is dented or rusting, I would probably avoid it.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/canned-food/AN01522