Guide to Canned Foods Safety
Canned goods are so convenient, with a wide variety of options and a long shelf life canned foods are always a good thing to have on hand. Are you selecting and storing your canned foods safely? Read below for our tips on what to look for when shopping for canned goods as well as how to make the most of them.
Selecting Canned Goods
- Select items that are tightly sealed and do not have any leaks.
- Do not select cans that are heavily rusted, swollen or extremely dented as this can be a possible sign of bacteria and a health hazard.
- When rust is deep enough tiny holes open in the can or lid that may let spoilage agents in.
- When cans are heavily dented, where the edges of the dent form a sharp point, there may be tiny holes that can let spoilage agents in.
Storing Canned Goods
- Store in cool, dry place.
- Temperatures ove
- r 100 Degrees F are harmful to canned foods.
- The risk of spoilage humps sharply as storage temperatures rise.
- Do not store in places exposed to excessive moisture, such as above the stove or below the sink
- This promotes the formation of rust.
Watch our video below as Jocelin explains the Do’s and Don’ts of storing your canned goods!
Canned goods get damaged often, but is it still safe to eat? Here are our tips on if a canned good is too damaged and should be thrown away, or if you can still eat it.
![Is it safe to use rusted canned foods? Discard heavily rusted cans. Cans that are heavily rusted can have tiny holes in them, allowing bacteria to enter. Surface rust that you can remove by rubbing with your finger or a paper towel is not serious. You can keep these canned foods. If you open the cans and there is any rust inside, do not eat the food. Rust (oxidized iron) is not safe to eat. [Top of Page] Is it safe to use food from dented cans? If a can containing food has a small dent, but is otherwise in good shape, the food should be safe to eat. Discard deeply dented cans. A deep dent is one that you can lay your finger into. Deep dents often have sharp points. A sharp dent on either the top or side seam can damage the seam and allow bacteria to enter the can. Discard any can with a deep dent on any seam.](https://extnutrnwk3pro.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/10/Canned-foods-is-it-safe-.png)
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
Before using those canned goods you need to clean the tops of the cans so bacteria doesn’t contaminated food while opening! Jocelin talks a bit more about why and how to sanitize your cans before using the ingredients inside!
