Shelf Life – 27 Years!

Our food products have been tested in real time for over two decades! Unless in otherwise perfect condition, the natural breakdown of vitamins and nutrients can’t be stopped regardless of the type of processing used.

Adding chemicals and large amounts of preservatives can push the food to the 25+ year mark, but taste is terrible, nutritional value is minimal and appearance can be equally compromised.

Here are some tips to getting the longest shelf life for your food.

1. Keep your food in a cool environment – the cooler, the better, in fact. Less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. Temperatures warmer than 80 degrees work against the food, leading to the breakdown of its nutritional structure.
2. Avoid garages or attics unless they are climate-controlled as temperature extremes affect shelf life.
3. Basements or supply closets in the middle of the house are ideal as they are usually the best insulated and tend to stay the coolest (the closer to the ground the better, also). Since heat rises, storing your food under the bed or at the base of a closet.
4. Keep the food dry. Moisture works against foods and can also damage the labels, which may cause some confusion in the future.
5. Keep the food away from direct sunlight as it can damage the food and drastically decrease its shelf life.
6. If you store your food on concrete, raise the food off the floor, as concrete tends to hold in moisture. If you put the cans on wood slats on the ground or shelving, this will keep the air circulating around the cans and away from direct contact with moisture.
7. Treat your food storage like you do your fresh food in the pantry. Every food group has a different shelf life. Proteins and grains have the longest shelf life, followed by fruits and vegetables and then dairy products. With respect to using your food storage items, consider rotating out these items in a logical order. Not only does this keep your food storage fresh, but it also helps you and your family get used to the products. By using our products in your everyday cooking, you can learn as you go, feel increasingly comfortable substituting our products for grocery items and saving money.
8. We suggest storing some extra items from the grocery store with your food storage in glass containers. We recommend keeping cooking oil, vanilla extract, and peanut oil in glass containers with your food. This way, you’re never without the basics and you’ll always have what you need. Try to stay away from plastic containers from the grocery store if it’s an item that will be kept with your food storage. Bugs and bacteria can easily get through plastic and destroy what’s inside. Besides, some products can eat right through plastic. Glass solves this problem. Metal storage cans work well, but only for a short time. Since the cans are not enameled, the natural breakdown of the food also breaks down the cans and foot materials can actually leach through.

If you have any questions about preparedness, please do not hesitate to contact All-In-One Preparedness at aio@allinonepreparedness.com.