Mincemeat Question!

[Ann]

In my Mum's house I have just found 3 jars of Tesco mincemeat still unopened and vacuum sealed, 2 dated BB 2010 and one from 2009. The one from 2009 contains brandy but the other two don't .... I have opened them all and tasted the mincemeat, its still lovely and moist and very tasty, the fruit is not at all "sugary", but is it safe to use - I wouldn't like to poison anyone! Hubby says there is no way it can go "off" when vacuum sealed, in the past we have eaten Christmas puddings well past their sell by dates too and are still here to tell the tale!
What do you think?

[EDDIE51]

They will go off now you have opened them. Unopened they would have kept for years yet. Food in vacuum sealed glass jars keeps indefinitely as does tinned food. The main way jars of food go off is if the metal lid gets rusty and starts to let air leak in.

[EDDIE51]

^^ Canned and dehydrated foods can last '' 20 to 30 years'' according to this site scroll down to items 5 and 6.
http://www.bearsurvival.com/2011/08/17/the-8-longest-lasting-foods/
Canned food that Captain Scott took to the Arctic was opened a few years back and found to still be edible.