I *just* posted a big related post to another thread, this might be a better place for it:
Just a practical observation for you prepper-folk.
I am going through a SHTF situation in my personal life, and I am eating reserve food, and am almost out of that.
SAMPLE YOUR FOOD STASH. I have had to throw all kinds of food away because it didn’t last as long as I thought it would, or because I didn’t actively manage it for expiration dates.
Stuff that held up well: Mountain House freeze dried backpacker food. I’m sodium sensitive and it’s a bit much for me, but if that’s what you have, you eat it. Canned Campbell’s soups. Dried rice.
Stuff that held up OK enough to use, but tasted a bit funky: Kraft brand Mac and Cheese in a bulk pack, with individual plastic-wrapped servings, marketed as ‘Easy Mac’. Store brand canned peaches. Edible, but kind of mushy.
Stuff that polluted the whole kitchen trying to prepare it and got thrown away: Store brand instant mashed potatoes. Store brand Mac & cheese, some off-brand freeze dried soups. Some civvie-copy MREs. Never again. If you’re preparing something and it looks a bit more orange than it should, it’s probably bad.
When the smoke clears in my life and I am building a reserve again, no off-brand anything. Packaging is important. Rotate and manage. Common sense stuff to be sure, but sometimes life gets in your face and there are bigger things to deal with than fiddling around in the cabinet. Until you need it, that is.
I've found the same to be true to some extent. I usually catch those items expiring before they need to be thrown out and just give them away instead. Part of the issue is not consuming items like I thought I would (especially canned foods). I try to go through items every few months and box those expired or close to expiring to be given away.
Another thing I do is put the newly purchased items on the floor or bottom self, moving dated items to higher selves. I then put only higher shelved items into use. This helps some to prevent overlooking items that are getting close to expiration.
I've since graduated to buying #10 cans of dehydrated foods with self-lives of 25+ years (unopened). I actually use these daily in preparing food to eat now - especially vegetables during this winter. They come with plastic lids for resealing once they're opened.
How much past the expiration dates were the bad stuff? how many years? two? four? six?
My concern is those pop tab cans. I don’t think they last as long past the expiration date than those that need a can opener.
One thing that bugs me is that coffee cans have that plastic peel away top.
As to your sodium sensitivity, I’ve heard that cooked potatoes draw out the salt from oversalted foods. You may be able to plop a potato in your meal for a bit and then remove it before eating.
I doubt low sodium foods keep well for long term.