Tins that go loudly BANG when opened

Food, Nutrition and Agriculture
MoonWatcher
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 5:00 pm

Tins that go loudly BANG when opened

Post by MoonWatcher »

I have a question for you folks.

We all know that tinned food can last a long time - certainly well after the best before date has come and gone. As I understand it, the contents may lose a certain amount of mineral content and may, conceivably, suffer slightly in terms of look, but otherwise so long as the tin is air tight and hasn't been smacked or dented the food inside will probably be ok. My rule of thumb has always been to open the tin and listen for a hiss. If you hear that, it suggests that bacteria are active and so you throw the tin away. I also work on the basis of using my sense of smell and if it smells tainted or bad, I'd also throw it away.

Otherwise I'd tuck in.

I bought 12 ring pull 400g cans of Sainsburys baked beans back in 2014 and they've been in my prep store ever since. 6 years... yep I know I really should have rotated. On my last inspection, I noticed that all the bases of the cans were pushed out (obviously by over pressure) so that if you rested the can on a flat surface it would rock slightly. I took one of the cans and pulled the ring pull only to hear a really very large BANG as it opened, much like you'd hear from a PCP air rifle without a moderator. Some of the juice flew up in the air... but what really surprised me was that the contents smelt and looked perfectly edible... to the extent I was actually in two minds about trying some. I dumped it anyway because I could only assume bacteria must have been present

Has anyone experienced anything similar with tinned goods especially baked beans

Kind regards to all

MoonWatcher
jansman
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Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Tins that go loudly BANG when opened

Post by jansman »

I have repeatedly said this: You CANNOT taste, smell or see food poisoning pathogens. If the can went bang...
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
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itsybitsy
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Location: East Yorkshire

Re: Tins that go loudly BANG when opened

Post by itsybitsy »

jansman wrote: Sat Apr 18, 2020 4:52 pm I have repeatedly said this: You CANNOT taste, smell or see food poisoning pathogens. If the can went bang...
If the can went bang it needs to go in the bin. :mrgreen:
jennyjj01
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Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: Tins that go loudly BANG when opened

Post by jennyjj01 »

MoonWatcher wrote: Sat Apr 18, 2020 3:22 pm ...I bought 12 ring pull 400g cans of Sainsburys baked beans back in 2014 and they've been in my prep store ever since. 6 years... yep I know I really should have rotated. On my last inspection, I noticed that all the bases of the cans were pushed out (obviously by over pressure)
My similar experience was with Branston Beans BBE 2018
My cans were only slightly swollen, not ring-pull, I got a hefty FIZZ on piercing the can. Took the silly risk of feeding family members.
Nobody died, but with hindsight, I would not take that risk unless I were desperate... Which I don't ever intend to be.

My tinned food rule of thumb is to happily triple the stated shelf-life which is determined at purchase date. For most tins that means an extra 4-5 years or so. But then, swelling of the can is a dead giveaway. Except for meat products, it's not usually the bacteria that poisons you, it's toxins that the bacteria creates.
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

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MoonWatcher
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 5:00 pm

Re: Tins that go loudly BANG when opened

Post by MoonWatcher »

Ok thanks for the responses, even the first slightly shouted one.

I'd seen the posting regarding eating elderly hissy branston before I posted but I did very appreciate your comments as yours was the closest to the problem I'd experienced. It was the fact that my cans made such a loud bang that left me really curious to see if anyone had experienced anything like the same thing.

The learning lesson for me in this story is that no matter what you might read, some tins won't last much beyond 6 years. I thought most tinned food would last easily as long or longer than that, especially if it had been carefully handled and stored in a cool place - but out of the 12 cans of ring pull Sainsbury baked beans I had bought, all 12 exhibited exactly the same problems. All the bases were expanded out and I have no doubt all would have made a very loud bang when opened.

Watch those ends of the can as they are a useful tell tale. If they are swollen - get your ear plugs out, or better still, toss the can straight into the bin.

Keep well and keep learning


MoonWatcher
jansman
Posts: 13623
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Tins that go loudly BANG when opened

Post by jansman »

MoonWatcher wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 6:24 am Ok thanks for the responses, even the first slightly shouted one.

I'd seen the posting regarding eating elderly hissy branston before I posted but I did very appreciate your comments as yours was the closest to the problem I'd experienced. It was the fact that my cans made such a loud bang that left me really curious to see if anyone had experienced anything like the same thing.

The learning lesson for me in this story is that no matter what you might read, some tins won't last much beyond 6 years. I thought most tinned food would last easily as long or longer than that, especially if it had been carefully handled and stored in a cool place - but out of the 12 cans of ring pull Sainsbury baked beans I had bought, all 12 exhibited exactly the same problems. All the bases were expanded out and I have no doubt all would have made a very loud bang when opened.

Watch those ends of the can as they are a useful tell tale. If they are swollen - get your ear plugs out, or better still, toss the can straight into the bin.

Keep well and keep learning


MoonWatcher
Ha ha :lol: I get shouty when food safety is the issue,my apologies! I work in the food industry,and it frustrates me when people push the boundaries of food safety.Simply because an error of judgement can kill.And right now when medical care is at a premium,I would not want to make that error!

The rules,the dates,the handling procedures are there for a reason...safety.They are not there to cover the manufacturer's a###, :roll: as many on prepping forums suggest.

In my job ,like any other food handler in the UK,if we are directly at fault for causing food poisoning,we can be fined £20,000 and jailed for two years.The subject is that serious.One thing I can tell you is that food poisoning incidents are far higher,statistically, in the domestic setting through poor handling and ignorance,than in the manufacturing environment.

Of course,as always,the choice is yours.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
Nurseandy
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Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2018 7:12 am

Re: Tins that go loudly BANG when opened

Post by Nurseandy »

Ooh! Swollen tins? Target practice :D
cbp125
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Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2020 8:43 pm

Re: Tins that go loudly BANG when opened

Post by cbp125 »

Nurseandy wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 7:27 am Ooh! Swollen tins? Target practice :D
Hmmm thats a thought, string them over a fire far away and hit with a crossbow! Might risk shrapnel tho ha ha
ForgeCorvus
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Re: Tins that go loudly BANG when opened

Post by ForgeCorvus »

Nurseandy wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 7:27 am Ooh! Swollen tins? Target practice :D
Target or projectile ??
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Nurseandy
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Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2018 7:12 am

Re: Tins that go loudly BANG when opened

Post by Nurseandy »

ForgeCorvus wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 5:32 pm
Nurseandy wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 7:27 am Ooh! Swollen tins? Target practice :D
Target or projectile ??
Hadn't even thought about them being the projectile! That's excellent! I'm off to dent some tins & leave them in the sun!
:lol: