Yes, I was about to mention the true story mentioned by In A Pickle.
In general, as long as the integrity of the canned food has not been compromised by holes or dents etc, tinned food is safe to eat many decades after its "best before" or "use by" date.
The key to it all is the preparation of the foodstuff before it goes into the can. Legislation now makes it necessary for canners to vacuum pack and/or cook the foodstuff under strict conditions to make sure its as sterile as possible when sealed in the can. Microbiological studies of tinned foodstuffs opened after many decades have shown that microorganisms are very rarely found in such products so the methods used do work very efficiently.
When organisms are found in such products, they are usually pathogens that may be found from human cross-contamination such as a worker who may have had an infected boil etc on his/her skin rather than organisms endemic in the environment. Even then, it must be remembered that high-temperature flash cooking destroys virtually all such organisms.
I do appreciate that many people take the view that that "use by" dates are there for a purpose but it should be remembered that they are are a guideline imposed upon canners via legislation.
I'm old enough to remember when tinned food never had "use by" or "sell by" dates stamped upon it and like millions of others, they never did me any harm. Would worldwide calamity really arise if these dates were removed from canned foodstuffs tomorrow?