Does it even need to be refrigerated before opening?
No need to refrigerate before opening. I don’t buy it but once or twice a year but I’ve had two-three spoil before the “use by” date the past couple years. Never had that happen before. That’s why it now goes from the grocery bag straight to the freezer. They must not be sealing it well these days or the foil wrap is lighter duty. Canned foods are coming in thinner cans these days, too. I check for dings and bent cans before putting into the grocery cart but somehow 1-2 show up bent by the time they get to the house. Tuna is the worst. Tuna cans are so thin now that they bend just draining them. Ever wonder why you can’t get 4 sandwiches out of a can of tuna these days? They’ve gone from 7.5 oz to 5.25 oz in a small can. Smart on the manufacturers’ part because customers have to buy two cans instead of one.