tinned tomatoes - how can i tell if out of date

Ted_Hutchinson

Raksha wrote:

When I worked in a canned foods factory, I was told tomatoes are so acidic the will eat into and dissolve the tin and lead in the coating - so it was very important NOT to eat tomtoes that are passed their BBD - for the cost of a tin of tomatoes, is it worth it?

How long ago was that. I think you'll find they sussed that problem and started using tins laquered on the inside so the acid tomato doesn't come into contact with the tin.

rkh001

Sorry to hijack this but...
I sometimes use half a tin of tomatoes, and keep the other half in the fridge in a glass bowl. If I then don't use them in about 3 days, I throw them out purely because I am not sure if bacteria has started to attack them I know people who will us them as long as there are no green bits on the top.
How long would you generally keep them in the fridge?

Raksha

Ted_Hutchinson wrote:

How long ago was that. I think you'll find they sussed that problem and started using tins laquered on the inside so the acid tomato doesn't come into contact with the tin.

Getting on for 20 years ago - but they were putting BBD on them even then - if these tins have no BBD, they may be even older than that.......

Ted_Hutchinson

rkh001 wrote:

Sorry to hijack this but...
I sometimes use half a tin of tomatoes, and keep the other half in the fridge in a glass bowl. If I then don't use them in about 3 days, I throw them out purely because I am not sure if bacteria has started to attack them I know people who will us them as long as there are no green bits on the top.
How long would you generally keep them in the fridge?

Tinned tomatoes are very good for you. In fact they are probably better than the pale skinned orange ones our supermarkets are so keen to sell us. Tinned Tomatoes and tomato paste, are recommended over whole fresh tomatoes because not only do they concentrate tomatoes and thus deliver more of their protective carotenoids but they also use sunripend dark red skinned varieties in the first place. See Tomato for more of the nutritional properties of tomatoes. So there's no excuse for not using up those surplus tinned tomatoes. Most recipes aren't going to be spoiled by throwing a whole tin rather than half a tin in.
But that said Lidl's/Aldis/Nettos and supermarket basic brands are so cheap anyway it's really not worth while keeping surplus tinned tomotoes if you haven't an immediate use for them. try Pasta sauce

Contains_Mild_Peril

Ted_Hutchinson wrote:

How long ago was that. I think you'll find they sussed that problem and started using tins laquered on the inside so the acid tomato doesn't come into contact with the tin.

I have heard that dented tins of tomatoes should be used asap, because the inside coating may be damaged, thus allowing the acid in the tomatoes to corrode the tin.
Incidentally, if you do have anything in your food cupboard so old that it predates mandatory b.b. dates, you can always sell it on eBay (as collectable packaging with incidental contents not intended for consumption).

kittiwoz

As I say, the acid in tomatoes will eventually corrode the tin coating but tin oxide is basically non-toxic and will not do you any harm. The cans are made from steel with a coating of tin, which is not alloyed with lead, and since neither tin oxide not iron oxide is harmful when ingested corrosion will not cause harm to your health, just a slight metallic taste and a weakening of the can.