A FOOD bank has filmed a worker opening a can of sweetcorn that was 35 years past its expiry date – and the result will leave many viewers stunned.

The Green Giant Niblets corn from 1982 would seem like a bargain to today's shoppers, costing just 8p according to the package design.

4 Cardiff Foodbank was donated this can of sweetcorn from 1982 Credit: BPM Media

The can – donated to Cardiff Foodbank – was too old to be given to people to eat.

But managers there decided to pry it open to see what it looked like.

As the can opener punctures the top of the container, the tin makes a hissing sound similar to a can of fizzy drink being opened.

Many people might imagine the corn to be covered in mould or completely black.

4 When opened, the sweetcorn inside appears to be totally normal Credit: BPM Media

But when the lid is finally cut off the corn inside looks perfect.

Tinned food can outlast its expiry date by decades as long as the container isn’t breached, as bacteria is unable to get in to rot the food.

As she pours out the tin’s contents, Helen Bull, the partnership and fundraising officer from Cardiff Foodbank, admits it “looks like it’s okay”.

But after sniffing the corn, she says: “There’s a very strong metallic smell to that sweetcorn – that is not something I recommend anybody ate.”

4 Tinned foods can outlast their expiry dates by decades if the can isn't damaged Credit: BPM Media

Helen said the food bank is often handed out-of-date food by people wanting to be generous but who don’t always check when the items run out of date.

She says: "Probably what's happened is that it is harvest time and lots of people clean out their cupboards and donate items that they have never used and don't really look at them.

BUT COULD YOU EAT IT WITHOUT GETTING SICK? SO we know sweetcorn should be top of the shopping list in the event of nuclear war. But, could you really EAT it after three decades sitting, forgotten about, in the darkest depths of your kitchen cupboards? The surprising answer is yes! Helen Bond, state registered dietititian told The Sun Online "best before" dates on tinned food are about quality not safety. But, she warned after 35 years, it might not taste great. "The sweetcorn should be safe to eat after the date on the tin but may not be at its best - especially after so long," she said. "Its flavour and texture won't be as good." But, what about the corn sitting in that metal for so long? Yes it will affect the smell and taste of the food, Helen told The Sun Online, as traces of metal transfers into the food. But, she added: "It wouldn't necessarily case a tummy upset or be dangerous for human consumption at that level." Her top tip is to always judge your food by its appearance. "Smell or taste it to gauge whether it's safe to consume, and take the 'use by' date into account," she said. "It's not hard and fast science, but it works!" Use-by dates are particularly important when it comes to fresh food, especially meat and fish and fresh salads, Helen said. Ignoring them could leave you suffering a bout of food poisoning.

"Unfortunately what sometimes happens is that when an older person dies the family will clean out the cupboards and they want to donate and don't necessarily realise that it was out of date."

The food bank was also given a tin of Heinz kidney soup dating back at least 46 years.

4 The same food bank was also given a tin of Heinz kidney soup from 1971 Credit: BPM Media

The "Ready to Serve" soup still bears its original price sticker and would have set you back 10d, meaning it was sold before decimalisation in 1971.

Cardiff Foodbank, which handed out 14,189 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis in 2016, tweeted about the find: "It's a record!! Never had a donation to @CardiffFoodbank with 10d on before! @HeinzUK"

Heinz responded by saying: "Wow! That soup was discontinued over 35 years ago. Should be in a museum rather than a food bank! :)"

Ms Bull, who said it costs between £80,000-£100,000 to run the foodbank each year, added the charity had to waste a lot of food which was out of date.

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