Expired canned food?

Does anyone know if canned cat food is safe to feed past the "best by" date and how long? I have some canned food I had bought for my senior cat who I lost last year. I was saving it in case I needed it for another cat but my other cats couldn't eat it because of their allergies so I still have it. The best by dates are all from 2013 but they were between March and June. I was thinking of giving it to a feral cat but I don't want to chance making her sick?

Should be fine unless the can is rusty or something. Theoretically, canned foods should be good indefinitely. Texture and flavor may suffer but it should be safe as long as the can remains sealed.

On that note: there's a brand of canned cheese spread that apparently ages well, and cans from the 70s are in hot demand .

I personally probably wouldn't feed it if it was more than 30 days past the best by date. But any can of food around here never waits more than a week. I buy a week's worth at a time.

Expiration dates are largely meaningless. An article that explains it better than I: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2010/02/ignore_expiration_dates.html

Also want to mention the can don't actually say "expiration" or "use before" they say "best by" not sure if that is a difference? It always seemed like "best by" was more of a suggestion.

As long as the cans aren't dented or rusty, then I would use them. Smell the food and look at its texture and if it seems normal to you then I'd bet you it's fine.