Are you a stickler for expiration dates? What do you do when there IS no expiration date? For 87-year-old Hans Feldmeier, that means there’s no reason to throw it away – even after 64 years.
Feldmeier, who is from Germany’s Baltic coast, got a can of lard in 1948 from Americans who were providing aid to the war-torn country, according to the BBC. He held on to it in case of an emergency.
Well, no such emergency occurred and instead, it was his curiosity that finally got him to open the can of Swift’s Bland Lard, which had no expiration date printed on it.
The retired pharmacist wanted to see if the lard was still edible, so he had some food safety experts test it. After passing a sight and smell evaluation, the lard was spread on black bread and tasted.
The verdict? It was gritty and tasteless. But it didn’t give anyone food poisoning, which is pretty miraculous for 64-year-old pig fat.
Tell us, what’s the oldest food item you’ve kept around? Do you eat expired groceries? Would you have tried this lard?
Vidya Rao is the TODAY.com food editor. She's flexible on expiration dates, but will not eat food that's older than her mother.