Botulism spoors only grow in dark airless low acid enviornments....NOT in canned tomatoes.
And I can't think that there would be a bacteria issue....just "clean it up" and you are good to go.
Linda C

Thank you!

Tropicals:
Here is part of an article I was reading.

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The cans I have are Best By Mar 31 09
With a code 5B 6228H8 19:54

Then I did some research and found the following.

Cans bulge primarily because of a potentially deadly bacteria fermenting in it, which causes a type of food poisoning known as Botulism. DO NOT PURCHASE A CAN WITH BULGES. Botulism can kill you.

botulism /bot·u·lism/ (boch´ah-lizm) an extremely severe type of food poisoning due to a neurotoxin (botulin) produced by Clostridium botulinum in improperly canned or preserved foods.

There is lots of info about this topic. They all say the same thing, do not purchase or eat a can that has expanded/bulged it could make you very sick or ill.
Posted by Victor Caballero at 7:26 AM
Labels: botchalism, botulism, canned tomatoes, diced tomatoes, food poisoning, sw
6 comments:
Anonymous said...
I too found a can of S&W Organic Ready-Cut Diced Tomatoes with a bulging can. Coincidentally the can also had the Best By Mar 31 09 date. I have contacted S&W and am awaiting a reply from them. I kept the bulged can and threw away the remained of the two 8-packs that I purchased from my local Costco.

May 5, 2008 7:03 AM
modelworker said...
Same exact trouble with same date on cans purchased from Costco!

May 6, 2008

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Tropical:

It would help to find out " how to " clean up, properly.

I don't think there is anything to worry about but it wouldn't hurt to be cautious.

I have had cans of Tomatoes ( in Date ) that were bulging.
I threw them in the trash,
after one exploded.
Should have looked into this. it might have helped someone.

Don't read too much myself. I fall asleep !!!!!
Unless it is something I am interested in.

A lot of women on the forum, study things extensively.
Maybe they will tune in here.

Lou

There have been a number of documented cases of botulism in canned tomatoes that have made the news in my half century plus lifetime. It's rare but it does happen.

I may be paranoid but I'd use chlorine bleach to be safe and check the other cans of the same brand and vintage. If the can that exploded was reasonably new, you might want to report its suspicious demise to the store that sold it and the manufacturer, in case the batch was improperly canned.

The majority of food-borne botulism comes from home-canned goods, but it's certainly possible in tomatoes, whether commercial or home-canned if the tomatoes are processed without additional acid (usually citric acid), or if there was a failure of the retort and insufficient heat.

Tomatoes are not high-acid. At best they're borderline and it doesn't take much for tomatoes to fall below the line.

What you're dealing with could be botulism. It is a gas-producing organism and ultimately would cause a can to bulge. But it could be a reaction between the acid in the product and the metal of the can or even something as basic as overpacking by the manufacturer.

Assuming the worst (i.e. botulism), the best option is to follow CDC recommendations for disposal. A simple bleach solution will sanitize the area but you have to be very careful about your own exposure and where/how you dispose of the can, its contents and any cleaning materials.

I've included a link with directions. It refers to bottled chili sauce, but the product is really irrelevant, as the same instructions apply regardless.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: CDC Instructions for Disposal of Tainted Canned Foods

Carol:
Knew I could count on you, for help. !!!
The cans I threw away, had dents in them, so I figured the Tomatoes acted on the metal can, causing them to swell.

Didn't think of Botulism then.
Lou

Whatever I can do to help. My last "explosion" was a homemade plum liqueur, but that's a whole other story, LOL.

Acid reaction with the metal is the most likely, but since botulism can't be detected visually or by smell, it's best to assume the worst. One of those better-safe-than-sorry scenarios.

Carol

In addition to the obvious possibility of contamination, I would think that canned tomatoes would leave a heck of a stain, I'd probably have to clean with bleach and then repaint, just to get the stuff off.

The probabilities of botulism are quite small, perhaps even miniscule, but it's still possible. I'd go with the worst case scenario.

Annie