Foodreference.com - Articles Section
Food Articles and Beverage Articles - Essays and Articles about food, wine, beer and spirits history, science, culture, production, use and appreciation of food and beverages`

Sign up for FoodReference Weekly Newsletter

CANNED FOOD DEFECTS

How to Recognize Can Defects

"Never eat food from a tin can with bulging ends" was a maxim many grew up with. Bulging was one of several clues that might indicate contamination of food packaged in metal cans. Guidelines have been adapted for recognizing defects in cans made of plastic and other materials, as well. The guidelines are:

Metal Cans

* an obvious opening underneath the double seam on the top or bottom of the
can
* a can with bulging ends
* a fracture in the double seam
* a pinhole or puncture in the body of the can
* an unwelded portion of the side seam
* a leak from anywhere in the can

Plastic Cans

* any opening or non-bonding in the seal
* a break in the plastic
* a fractured lid
* a swollen package

Paperboard Cans

* a patch in the seal where bonding or adhesive is missing
* a slash or slice in the package
* a leak in a corner of the package
* a swollen package

Glass Jars

* a pop-top that does not pop when opened (indicating loss of the vacuum)
* a damaged seal
* a crack in the glass of the jar

Flexible Pouches

* a break in the adhesive across the width of the seal
* a slash or break in the package
* a leak at a manufactured notch used for easy opening
* a swollen package


FDA Consumer magazine, Sept 1990
(Taken from a chart for retailers developed by FDA and NFPA and published by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists.)
 

. HOME . . Cooking Tips . . Facts & Trivia . . About & Contact . . Links . . Search . . Subscribe .

•Food Safety, Allergies, Dangerous Foods etc.• •Allergies, Food• •Almonds: New Regulations• •Canned Food Defects• •Chicken, Choosing Safe, Healthy Chicken• •Choking Danger for Kids• •Ciguatera Poisoning• •Cooking Temperatures• •Ergotism: A Witch in the Rye• •Expanding Sausage Package• •Fall Winter Food Safety• •Fish and Pregnancy• •Food Safety - How Safe is Our Food?• •Growth Hormones & Milk• •Holiday Cooking Safety Tips• •Homemade Ice Cream Safety• •Hurricane Food Safety• •Kitchen Sponges & Bacteria• •Labels, New Food Labeling Law• •Listeria Contamination• •Mercury and Seafood• •Molds on Food• •MSG, Food Safety & Allergies• •Non Dairy Milk & Cheese• •Nut Allergies• •Plastic and Microwave Ovens• •Pork and Trichinosis• •Red Kidney Bean Poisoning• •Rice and Allergies• •Summertime Food Safety Hints• •Summer Picnic Food Safety• •Vibrio & Shellfish•

Please feel free to link to any pages of FoodReference.com from your website. All contents of this website are copyright © 1990 - 2008 James T. Ehler and FoodReference.com unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. You may copy and use portions of this website for non-commercial, personal use only. Any other use of the materials in this website without prior written permission is prohibited. Contact email: james@foodreference.com