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How Long Does Canned Tuna Last Before It Has Gone Bad?

From time to time, nothing goes above a nice piece of tuna, even if it’s canned. Those canned tunas can be easily forgotten and a long time flies by when you stumble upon a canned tuna.

How long does canned tuna last?

It’s a question a lot of people ask. Some say it won’t last long because it is fish, others will say it will last for a long time because it is canned. Who knows it best?

Is your canned tuna a year past its best-by date? Should you eat it or not?

In this blog post, we’re going to talk more about canned tuna, its shelf-life, storage, and spoilage.

Enjoy the read!

How Long Does Canned Tuna Last

We will start this blog post with a table for a quick overview for your convenience.

Canned TunaPantryRefrigerator
UnopenedBest-by date + 3 up to 5 years
OpenedBetween 3 to 5 days
Indicative timetable for canned tuna. General advice. Always check for signs of spoilage.

Unopened canned tuna is sealed and canned and thus better protected. You can save it for years past the best-by date if everything else is in order (3 to 5 years or even more).

From the moment you open the can, you give external threats like sunlight, heat sources, air, and so on the chance to invade. When you store it in the fridge after opening it, as you should do, it will last up to 5 days in the fridge.

The reason why canned food exists is to store and save it for quite some time. While it’s surely no surströmming, it can last for a long time, not forever of course, but I’m sure you won’t go that route.

As we’ve said before on GoodOrGoneBad, the date printed on foods and drinks gives you an idea of the quality you can expect. In this case with canned tuna, it shouldn’t be an issue but always do your tests and trust your senses.

Try to use canned tuna in other dishes like tuna burgers or tuna salad when you’re having guests over.

You can increase the already long life of canned tuna by storing it in the right way.

How To Store Canned Tuna

You buy the canned tuna from the store and can store it in a dark and dry place like the pantry or cupboard.

Just like with other foods and drinks, try to keep it far away from direct sunlight, and heat sources and make sure the lids are sealed.

Also, avoid damp or humid areas because they can cause rust and thus can possibly spoil the tuna.

An unopened can will last for a very long time. Once you open it, it’s a short life of up to 5 days if you place it in the refrigerator and seal it.

Cans aren’t the same as airtight containers or any other method of storing food and drinks.

Don’t try to put it in hot places or in the freezer because you won’t like what you’re going to see when it breaks free and is thus unsealed. Unsealed and hot or cold is a bad combination. Also, avoid air.

So when you buy canned tuna, you can store it safely in the pantry or any dark and dry place at room temperature. From the moment you open it, seal the rest in a sealed airtight container and put it in the fridge, and consume it within 5 days. An airtight container will do just fine.

How To Tell If Your Canned Tuna Has Gone Bad

Canned tuna is better protected against spoilage in most foods and drinks, but there’s always a small chance that it can go bad, no matter the odds.

Try the following guidelines when you need to decide whether you should toss the tuna or not.

  1. Is there something odd about the can? A damaged can is not good because it can mean leaks, a swollen can, and so on. That means the bacteria have already found a way in and the process of going bad has started sooner.
  2. When you open the canned tuna, does it make a sound or explode? That means there’s gas in it. Discard it immediately.
  3. How is the color? Normally, canned tuna will look more light pink to brown. When you start seeing darker spots or colors, toss the tuna away immediately. Don’t even start cutting out the bad pieces.
  4. Do you smell something about the tuna? If there’s something weird you smell, discard it.
  5. Do you taste something off? Tasting something else, something weird or funny? Discard it and rinse your mouth with water.

Also, if you’re canned tuna is opened and already for 7 days in the fridge, sealed or not, toss it away immediately because it is quite over time.

On GoodOrGoneBad we always say and repeat: trust your senses when judging whether to eat it or not. Always when there’s doubt, don’t go for it because food is delicate and fish even more. Don’t take any risks for your health if you can afford a new fresher can of canned tuna.

Canned tuna should taste like canned tuna and nothing else. If you taste nothing, that’s also a reason to get rid of it.

Canned tuna can be used in a lot of great dishes like tuna salad, tuna burger, and so on.

Enjoy your canned tuna!