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Eating 64-year-old food

Summary6 February 2012

In these tough economic times many people are making their food go a little further than they perhaps used to. And for many that might mean ignoring the best before date, but one German man has taken it to the extreme by eating the contents of a 64-year-old tin.

Reporter

Jonathan Josephs

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Report

In the late 1940's the United Stateswas helping Germany overcome the hardships of the second World War. Food parcels were a vital part of the rebuilding effort and Swift's bland lard was one of the less exciting ingredients. But it was apparently durable. The tin with its red, white and blue label still intact survived in Hans Feldmeier's cupboard. So the 87-year-old retired chemist decided to test its edibility:

(CLIP OF HANS FELDMEIER WITH VOICEOVER IN ENGLISH) "I didn't open it because I thought the situation could get even worse. I hope that we are not running into tough times like we had after World War II, even despite the financial crisis we are facing."

And his gamble paid off. The tests run by scientists in his home town of Rostock showed it was indeed fit for consumption,saving Mr Feldmeier a precious few Euros. But he did fork out on a loaf of black bread on which it was spread before he and the scientists ate it. So what did it taste like?

(CLIP OF FEMALE EMPLOYEE OF OFFICE OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD SAFETY AND FISHERIES WITH VOICEOVER IN ENGLISH) "I thought it would taste rancid, but it doesn't. I'm totally surprised that it shows absolutely no sign of rancidity."

The tin bore no expiry date, so to adapt an old saying, it seems the proof of the lard, if not the pudding, really was in the eating.