All You Need To Know About Buying & Storing Canned Foods
Canning as a way to store and preserve food has been a technique used since the 1800s. Frenchman Alfred Clouet founded Ayam Brand™ in 1892 to serve the British residents living in Singapore and Malaysia, then known as the Straits Settlements.
Ayam Brand’s first product was canned salmon and it was so popular that the shipments arriving in the port were snapped up quickly. Soon, other products were introduced such as canned sardines in tomato sauce.
In 1900, the company won the gold medal at the Universal Exposition in Paris for its canning process.
Today, canned foods can be easily found in supermarkets and stores. Vegetables, fish, sauces and other pre-cooked foods are available as canned goods. They are convenient, have a long shelf life and are easy on the wallet. Over time, to meet the changing needs of our customers, our Ayam Brand™ product range has been further expanded and localised with items such as Ayam Brand™ Chilli Tuna Fire Hot and Ayam Brand™ Trim Coconut Milk.
When buying canned foods:
Take the time to read the food label.
Food labels provide consumers with key nutrition information and provide an indication on whether it’s healthy food choice. Whenever possible, choose canned foods that are lower in sodium, with no preservatives, added MSG or trans fat. We know that food labels can be confusing to understand, so here’s our guide to decode AYAM BRAND™ FOOD LABELS.
Look at the “use by” or “best before” date printed on the can.
While canned foods have a long shelf life, food manufacturers do provide a “use by” or “best before” date for food safety reasons. It’s good to check this date especially if you plan to store the item in your pantry for some time before consuming it.
Note the difference between “use by” and “best before”.
A “use by” tag indicates that the item should not be consumed once this date has passed due to food safety reasons. On the other hand, “best before” is an indication of food quality; it is safe to consume it after this date but the food quality is likely to be diminished. If there is no “use by” or “best before” date printed on the can, don’t panic! Most canned goods have a shelf life of two years and will remain safe to eat as long as the can remains unopened.
Check the can for rust, dents, leakage or swelling.
Do not buy canned foods that display any of these signs.
When storing canned foods:
Store canned foods in a cool, dry place.
Ensure that your storage area is not next to a heat source such as an oven or a stove as the heat can be transferred. Check the label for any special instructions on storing the food to preserve its quality.
Ensure that you use up “older” food items first.
One easy way to do this is to rotate your canned goods; when adding newly purchased cans to your pantry, push forward the older cans and place the newer ones at the back.
Ayam Brand™ products can be found at all leading supermarkets and hypermarts.
