Canned Food

If they are bulging or dented, get rid of them. If they're only about 2 years past the date, they're probably okay, but a food shelf probably won't take them.

If the cans say "Best By" they have up to 3-5 years before they're iffy.
If the cans say "Use By" they gotta go if the date is past.

Many staples are good indefinitely, like dried beans and peas, honey, corn syrup, molasses and sugar.

You can google "food shelf life" and get very detailed lists of how long to keep foods etc.

A lot of people still use them as long as they are not expanded or the metal has turned a color. I throw them out. I would use this move as an opportunity to reorganize how my food is stored.

If you don't have Peggy Layton's books you should try and borrow some to see how they fit with your lifestyle. I would not put up any groceries until I have decided how I want my food to work in my new house. I love the book about emergency preparedness. I love the pictures of her food storage, it's like going to a grocery store. They put up groceries from the back of the rows so they are always older in front.

I live all her books I have:
http://peggylayton.net/

My favorite:
http://peggylayton.net/index.php?app=ccp0&ns=prodshow...

The one I learned most from about using typical storage foods:
http://peggylayton.net/index.php?app=ccp0&ns=prodshow...

YES! You can get botulism from bad canned food. When in doubt - throw it out!

Absolutely canned food can go bad and yes it can contain botulism. I just went through some outdated cans in my mom's cupboard and opened them to throw contents in the garbage disposal. Anything with a bulge is in danger of exploding. Rather than throw it out unopened, get a plastic bag, put the can opener inside the bag to open so it is covered, otherwise it will be all over your kitchen. (beet juice on the ceiling is not pretty) Examples: outdated fruit will be soft and mushy, tomato soup will be be a different color, not the bright red, more like gray, even though the cans were not bulging, the lining of the cans were tarnished inside and had a very metallic odor.

Look up botulism on the internet, nothing to be messed with!!!

http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/botulism/

Quote from that website:
Many cases of botulism are preventable. Foodborne botulism has often been from home-canned foods with low acid content, such as asparagus, green beans, beets and corn and is caused by failure to follow proper canning methods. However, seemingly unlikely or unusual sources are found every decade, with the common problem of improper handling during manufacture, at retail, or by consumers; some examples are chopped garlic in oil, canned cheese sauce, chile peppers, tomatoes, carrot juice, and baked potatoes wrapped in foil. In Alaska, foodborne botulism is caused by fermented fish and other aquatic game foods. Persons who do home canning should follow strict hygienic procedures to reduce contamination of foods, and carefully follow instructions on safe home canning including the use of pressure canners/cookers as recommended through county extension services or from the US Department of Agriculture. Oils infused with garlic or herbs should be refrigerated. Potatoes which have been baked while wrapped in aluminum foil should be kept hot until served or refrigerated. Because the botulinum toxin is destroyed by high temperatures, persons who eat home-canned foods should consider boiling the food for 10 minutes before eating it to ensure safety. Wound botulism can be prevented by promptly seeking medical care for infected wounds and by not using injectable street drugs. Most infant botulism cases cannot be prevented because the bacteria that causes this disease is in soil and dust. The bacteria can be found inside homes on floors, carpet, and countertops even after cleaning. Honey can contain the bacteria that causes infant botulism so, children less than 12 months old should not be fed honey. Honey is safe for persons 1 year of age and older.

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Last time I moved, I found a bunch of canned foods in the very back of a deep bottom cabinet that we had never used for canned goods. It must have just been put there as we were moving in and forgotten.
Given that we'd lived in that house for 8 years, I just tossed the stuff out.
I don't like throwing food away, but I didn't even trifle with it. Out it went.
To me, moving is a chance to purge things, so I personally would just toss it instead of move it to yet another place.

Just my opinion.

Best wishes.

If the can is in good shape, ie. not bulging or leaking, the food is still safe to eat. The quality may be not so good depending on the type of food.

Botulism is rare and is never found in commercially canned foods. There is no way that botulism could enter a can that is still sealed.

I throw them out.. I also feel guilty about it, but I do dnot want to take the chance of making my family or anyone else ill.

Brigham Young University has been testing canned food for spoilage over time and has found that canned food generally is good far longer than the expiration dates indicate. Accordingly, your food is probably good, even though "expired," unless the can is bulging, leaking, or is otherwise obviously bad. So, don't throw them away. Just use them up and replace them.