Bloated food packages are a fairly common occurrence, but many people don’t know what to do when they notice them in their pantries or the grocery store. If you are also puzzled by this occurrence, continue reading below.
What Does Bloated Food Packaging Means?
Wei Zhang, professor of food science and food safety specialist at the Illinois Institute of Technology, recently discussed the phenomenon of bloated food packages with Taste of Home and revealed that several things could be behind it.
According to Zhang, one reason behind bloated food packages can be air pressure change. If you live at a high altitude, the pressure inside the food packaging can be higher than the pressure outsides, which will result in bloating. However, the most common cause for bloated food packaging is gas emissions from microorganisms growing inside the food.
Food in Bloated Packaging Should Not Be Consumed
Microorganisms in food usually mean that the quality of the food has changed and that it has started to spoil. Some microorganisms can even contribute to food poisoning, which is why you should not consume the food that comes in bloated packages.
How to Recognize Bloated Food Packaging
Every food package has some air trapped inside and some require more of it than others. For example, chips need to come in packages filled with air so they would not break during transportation. Cold meats like sausages, on the other hand, come in vacuum-sealed packages.
The easiest way to spot a bloated food package is to compare it with similar items and use common sense. If the package looks bigger than it should or feels like it could pop any moment, stay away from it. You should do the same if you notice any other deformation on the packaging.
