Food storage/Shelf life

[Freebore]

I've always beleived in keeping a bit of stored foods for preparedness, and just in case there's not a safe way to go and buy more. It didn't take Y2K scares to look towards storing back some food. I generally rotate stock, and use/replace the older stuff, before it's obviously outdated. I do have some MRE's that are 10 plus years old that I'm tempted to open, and check the condition. I don't really trust outdated MRE's, and certainly dont want get food poisoning. What's the general rule besides a lab test? Are they Ok if they don't show signs of leakage, or package expansion? I can remember eating a "K" ration in Air Force BMT, and it was about 30 years old! I still remember that it was a Spaghetti with Meatball ration, and the meatball seemed more like a cold grease ball, than meat. Standard canned goods are another subject, and I've seen basic shelf life expectations posted on several websites. If I remember right, corned beef would last for a very long time, maybe forever?