Can one get botulism from tomato sauce with a can that was indented?!
Can one get botulism from tomato sauce with a can that was indented?
We used some tomato sauce tonite for dinner. The can was indented a bit. I've heard that botulism bacteria grow in canned foods especially if the can has an outward bulge. But this can looked like it got a lil squished or hit, so it looks a bit sucked in near the bottom, not too noticable. We didn't use the part of the sauce where the can problem was, we used just a bit from the top. Botulism scares me so much, as rare as it is. Just that "who knows, it can happen" part is scary..
Answers:
Botulism usually occurs in low-acid home-canned foods, and tomatoes are higher acid. If any canned food is shrivelled, discolored or has an odor, discard it. Botulism is not the only form of food-poisoning.
Puffy cans are a sign of botulism because the botulism spore itself gives off gas as it grows - that's what puffs the can (and that's why they have the popup button on jar lids).. Did you still hear the can suck in air when you opened it? If so, not a problem.
If you didn't hear air suck, it's still probably ok, since tomatoes are fairly acid, and botulism grows best in a neutral enviroment. But I wouldn't eat the rest of the can.
You ate tomato sauce from a DENTED CAN ....... YOU ARE GOING TO DIE! not from the tomato sauce but from fear of dieing from something. A dented can is no problem, unless the can was punctured, then it would leak and could spoil. Quit worrying and enjoy what life you've got left