What to Do with Spoiled Food

You should never eat food from a jar with an unsealed lid, or that shows signs of spoilage. Spoilage is easily detected in jars with rings removed. The growth of bacteria and yeast that causes spoilage produces gas. This gas pressurizes the food, swelling the lid and breaking the jar seal. Before using canned food, examine the lid for tightness and vacuum. Lids with a concave center mean they are still sealed appropriately.

Next, hold the jar at eye level and rotate the jar to examine the outside surface. If there are streaks of dried food at the top of the jar, then check the contents for rising air bubbles or unnatural color.

Upon opening the jar, smell for any strange odors. Look for spurting liquid or cotton-like mold growth. Mold can either be white, blue, black or green.

Low acid foods will exhibit different signs of spoilage or may not even show much evidence. If you suspect any spoilage of food you should assume the spores have produced botulinum toxin and handle the food carefully in one of two ways:

1. If the jars are still sealed, place in a heavy garbage bag. Close the bag and place in the regular trash or bury in a landfill.
2. If you suspect the containers are unsealed, open or leaking, then you need to detoxify them before disposal.

The detoxifications process recommended by the USDA is as follows:

1. Place the suspect containers and lids on their sides in an 8-quart volume or larger stock pot, pan or boiling water canner.
2. Wash your hands completely.
3. Carefully add water to the pot and completely cover the containers with at least one inch above the containers. Avoid any splashing of water.
4. Place a lid on the pot and boil the water.
5. Boil for 30 minutes to ensure detoxification of the food and all components.
6. Cool the containers and then discard the container, lid, and food in the trash or bury in the soil.
7. Completely scrub all counters, containers, and equipment such as can opener, clothing, and hands. Anything that may have come in contact with the food or containers needs to be cleaned.
8. If you used any sponges or wash clothes in cleaning you should dispose of them by placing them in a plastic bag and then discarding in the trash.

It is also important that you know the unsafe methods of canning and preserving food. A lot of older recipes may still falsely refer to methods that are no longer considered safe. Let's look at some unsafe canning methods you shouldn't use.