8 foods that almost never go bad

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• Most foods don't last very long because they contain the things microbes love, such as nutrients and water, and not much of the stuff they don't love, such as salt and acid.
• However, foods with very little water have a long shelf-life because if bacteria try to grow on it, they will simply shrivel up. 
• Many of the foods that last for a long time are high in sugar and salt precisely because they draw water out, preventing bacteria from growing.

The news that, after 106 years, Captain Scott's fruitcake was found by the Antarctic Heritage Trust and "smelled edible," raises the question: are there other foods that have similar staying power? The answer is, yes, several.

1. Honey

In 2015, archaeologists reported that they'd found 3,000-year-old honey while excavating tombs in Egypt, and it was perfectly edible. This durability is thanks to the unique features of honey: it is low in water and high in sugar, so bacteria cannot grow on it. Honey also contains small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, which inhibits growth of microbes. This is partly why bees produce it for the young in their hives — it is both food and protection.

Processing honey also helps as the sugars in honey are hygroscopic and tend to draw in atmospheric water, which is not ideal. However, during processing and packaging, the heat treatment first removes water and then airtight lids keeps the water out, helping it keep for longer. Although honey can go cloudy and crystallise when opened as the sugars draw in water again, this physical change can be reversed by simply warming the honey.

2. Dried pulses

As with honey, the key to a long shelf-life is processing and storage. Drying pulses increases the pulses' sugar concentration and lowers their water content, which makes it hard for bacteria and moulds to grow on them. Also, any enzymes that would naturally break down the product after harvest are put into suspended animation. If the container is airtight, they will last for years and still be a great source of protein. If you allow water in, however, then they will only last a few months.

3. Soy sauce

Soy sauce has the potential to last at least three years. The combination of its salt content and being fermented means that, if it is unopened, it should have a very long shelf life. How long it will last depends on the type of soy sauce and, once opened, the temperature it is stored at. If it does go off, it is likely to be due to mould growing around the lid.

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