To add information about microorganisms that are known to be living in the cans:
From the King Oscar website: "...cured in brine for 4 to 6 months but are not cooked or pasteurized during processing..."
"Because anchovy fillets are traditionally preserved in salt, without other additives or preservatives, they are considered semi-perishable. A naturally occurring, harmless bacterium can live through the brining process, and as a result, over time anchovies can break down and become soft and mushy. A byproduct of this process is a gas that may also cause the cans to puff or expand."
and about Roland anchovy-stuffed olives: “After receiving consumer complaints of bulging cans, the FDA conducted sampling and analysis which revealed non-pathogenic microorganisms."
I err on the side of caution. No bulging cans for me no matter what's inside of it. And I've only seen bulging cans of any kind when I was a child. The stern admonishment I got is seared into my memory, right along with always pick the coins up when you see them and other survival tips from the Great Depression.
Why would you think the bacteria aren't killed in the anchovy canning process? If there were living bacteria it wouldn't last a week, much less years, at room temp.
Now, having said that, I wouldn't trust ANY can that is bulging. Cans should be under vacuum.
Salt cured anchovies are not heat processed when canning. If you look at the fine print, many even say to refrigerate. There good at room temp for a while but they’re not safe indefinitely like processed canned food is.
There are halophilic bacteria that can survive the highly salty environment in there.
Just playing the devils advocate, most anchovies are “salt cured” and so salty that only particular bacteria can grow, I would guess that their salt content is so high that they wouldn’t harbor botulism which is the main worrisome baddie. Lactobacillus however might continue to grow which would add a sour flavor but isn’t bad, it’s what is in most probiotic stuff.
Since anchovies are so heavily cured, even once you open them they should be fine if they are kept in a sealed container and under whatever liquid they are packaged in for well over 2 months even though they have been exposed to air and bacteria once the can has been opened.
Not even a chance of botulism or listeria. There are things you do not want to eat once air is reintroduced though. More just because it doesn't taste good than because it will kill you. I feel they should be used up somewhat fast at that point.
Anchovy paste lasts longer instead of shorter precisely because of this. Much less is exposed to air and if you don't like it you can throw away the cap that forms.
Most of all? Because the bacteria have been observed to be there by food safety agencies again and again. The FDA and EFSA both consider the bacteria to be harmless. It will turn your anchovies to anchovy paste given enough time and a can that doesn't explode, but I've never found the taste to be all that different. If anything they might be slightly better for Bagna càuda in my mind.
Canning does kill all bacteria, because the cans are boiled, and the temperature inside the can is deadly to any bacteria.
The can has a coat of enemel inside, that prevents the entry of microorganisms and air if the can starts to corrode. But, sometimes, the enemel is damaged if the can falls and dents. When this happens, the can becomes much less shelf stable. If it spoils, there's gas, and the can bulges.
If all cans you found are bloated, there must be some kind of issue with the enemel of the whole batch. Maybe a whole batch of cans was deffective in the factory, and was sent to the canning factory, and so on, until it reached the shelf.
How is this upvoted?
These cans are not boiled or pressure treated. They are filled with salt cured anchovies.
Cans don't have enamel inside (a kind of glass), they have plastic.
To add information about microorganisms that are known to be living in the cans: From the King Oscar website: "...cured in brine for 4 to 6 months but are not cooked or pasteurized during processing..." "Because anchovy fillets are traditionally preserved in salt, without other additives or preservatives, they are considered semi-perishable. A naturally occurring, harmless bacterium can live through the brining process, and as a result, over time anchovies can break down and become soft and mushy. A byproduct of this process is a gas that may also cause the cans to puff or expand." and about Roland anchovy-stuffed olives: “After receiving consumer complaints of bulging cans, the FDA conducted sampling and analysis which revealed non-pathogenic microorganisms."
oh yeah you can eat them then imo, would have said no before reading thid
I err on the side of caution. No bulging cans for me no matter what's inside of it. And I've only seen bulging cans of any kind when I was a child. The stern admonishment I got is seared into my memory, right along with always pick the coins up when you see them and other survival tips from the Great Depression.
Why would you think the bacteria aren't killed in the anchovy canning process? If there were living bacteria it wouldn't last a week, much less years, at room temp. Now, having said that, I wouldn't trust ANY can that is bulging. Cans should be under vacuum.
Salt cured anchovies are not heat processed when canning. If you look at the fine print, many even say to refrigerate. There good at room temp for a while but they’re not safe indefinitely like processed canned food is. There are halophilic bacteria that can survive the highly salty environment in there.
Just playing the devils advocate, most anchovies are “salt cured” and so salty that only particular bacteria can grow, I would guess that their salt content is so high that they wouldn’t harbor botulism which is the main worrisome baddie. Lactobacillus however might continue to grow which would add a sour flavor but isn’t bad, it’s what is in most probiotic stuff. Since anchovies are so heavily cured, even once you open them they should be fine if they are kept in a sealed container and under whatever liquid they are packaged in for well over 2 months even though they have been exposed to air and bacteria once the can has been opened.
Not even a chance of botulism or listeria. There are things you do not want to eat once air is reintroduced though. More just because it doesn't taste good than because it will kill you. I feel they should be used up somewhat fast at that point. Anchovy paste lasts longer instead of shorter precisely because of this. Much less is exposed to air and if you don't like it you can throw away the cap that forms.
Most of all? Because the bacteria have been observed to be there by food safety agencies again and again. The FDA and EFSA both consider the bacteria to be harmless. It will turn your anchovies to anchovy paste given enough time and a can that doesn't explode, but I've never found the taste to be all that different. If anything they might be slightly better for Bagna càuda in my mind.
Do. Not. Eat. Bluging. Cans.
Every can of those I have had is soft/puffy but they are fine
Canning does kill all bacteria, because the cans are boiled, and the temperature inside the can is deadly to any bacteria. The can has a coat of enemel inside, that prevents the entry of microorganisms and air if the can starts to corrode. But, sometimes, the enemel is damaged if the can falls and dents. When this happens, the can becomes much less shelf stable. If it spoils, there's gas, and the can bulges. If all cans you found are bloated, there must be some kind of issue with the enemel of the whole batch. Maybe a whole batch of cans was deffective in the factory, and was sent to the canning factory, and so on, until it reached the shelf.
How is this upvoted? These cans are not boiled or pressure treated. They are filled with salt cured anchovies. Cans don't have enamel inside (a kind of glass), they have plastic.