topic Re: Watch your tomato sauce in Recipes

Watch your tomato sauce

IamMrsG — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 18:00:03 GMT

In preparation for tonight's dinner, I needed a can of tomato sauce. I bought one yesterday.

The instant my can opener punctured the lid, there was a fizzing sound and sauce spewed out about six inches from the can. "That's odd," I thought. Well, that was nothing. When I removed the lid, the tomato sauce was bubbling like scenes of boiling lava in a volcano!

I called Hunt's right away to report it. The lady I spoke with kept insisting the can must have been damaged, that there had to be a pin hole somewhere in the can. I repeatedly told her the can was in pristine condition, the label was not stained, torn or even scratched. There was zero evidence, top, sides or bottom, of any damage to the metal. Further, I told her, when my opener punctured the lid, the spew was from built up pressure inside -- which wouldn't exist if the can leaked.

Naturally, she apologized for my inconvenience and offered coupons for more product. What I wanted from her was an offer to notify Quality Control that there may be a problem with the entire batch of their low-salt tomato sauce.

After we hung up, I poured the contents into the sink, dreading the thought of finding a dead mouse or something in the bottom. I did not <whew!>, but you should have seen the tomato sauce in my sink. No exaggeration, it flowed, bubbling and gurgling as it did, looking like a scene in a science fiction movie. I quickly rinsed it down the drain in concern it could damage the finish of my sink.

I am not posting this to malign Hunt's, rather to extend a caution to be watchful.

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

tedEbear — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 18:30:31 GMT

I asked DH, he worked in a can manufacturing company. He said there might have been an unsealed section of the lid far too small for you to notice. The other thing is , some things are cooked in the can and that may have been the problem. Too hot, went to warehouse that was too hot, transport to store too hot and in the tail end, it blew up. Also, was the end of the cand bloated??? Just some thoughts. Glad you didn't use it.-----ted

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

IamMrsG — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 18:39:12 GMT

There was neither bloat, tomato stain nor anything else to signify anything was out of the ordinary. Again, wouldn't the fizzing sound and spewing of sauce mean pressure from inside? How could any minuscule hole allow pressure to build?

I suspect some sort of fermentation brewed inside the can, so can more readily accept your DH's theory about too much heat. Thank you for asking him and sharing his answers.

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

Perkup — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 18:43:11 GMT

Meaning no offense, did you check the expiration date on the can?

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

PINKdogWOOD — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 18:45:31 GMT

Hmmm, seems very odd to me. And I'm not buying into the possibility that there was a pin hole nor an unsealed section of the can. If either were the case, there would be leakage I'm suspecting. @tedEbear I'm not saying anything against your DH but don't you think there should have been some sort of leakage?

I think I'd continue to pursue this with the Hunt's Co. If you still happen to have the can, especially the label to see if you can see/find a packing number or ID number for the batch, I'd call Hunt's back and talk to someone of more authority.

If you got a can like this, I'm guessing there are more, can't be just one in a batch.

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

software — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 18:49:24 GMT

In this case, it may have been better to report to some consumer site, or FDA or whoever keeps up with potential recalls.

There was a big recall on this product several years ago according to the FDA website. It was an inner lining problem, something you would not be able to see before you opened the can. They may be having problems again. It's shouldn't happen but I'm not surprised your experience.

Many years ago I worked for a canned pet food manufacturer. All kinds of variables can occur to cause a can failure & ruined product. Always be careful, cans can explode.

@IamMrsG wrote:
In preparation for tonight's dinner, I needed a can of tomato sauce. I bought one yesterday.

The instant my can opener punctured the lid, there was a fizzing sound and sauce spewed out about six inches from the can. "That's odd," I thought. Well, that was nothing. When I removed the lid, the tomato sauce was bubbling like scenes of boiling lava in a volcano!

I called Hunt's right away to report it. The lady I spoke with kept insisting the can must have been damaged, that there had to be a pin hole somewhere in the can. I repeatedly told her the can was in pristine condition, the label was not stained, torn or even scratched. There was zero evidence, top, sides or bottom, of any damage to the metal. Further, I told her, when my opener punctured the lid, the spew was from built up pressure inside -- which wouldn't exist if the can leaked.

Naturally, she apologized for my inconvenience and offered coupons for more product. What I wanted from her was an offer to notify Quality Control that there may be a problem with the entire batch of their low-salt tomato sauce.

After we hung up, I poured the contents into the sink, dreading the thought of finding a dead mouse or something in the bottom. I did not <whew!>, but you should have seen the tomato sauce in my sink. No exaggeration, it flowed, bubbling and gurgling as it did, looking like a scene in a science fiction movie. I quickly rinsed it down the drain in concern it could damage the finish of my sink.

I am not posting this to malign Hunt's, rather to extend a caution to be watchful.

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

tedEbear — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 18:57:40 GMT

@software----what manufacturer did you work for? Part of DH's job was kal-kan and another, COCA-COLA. ------ted

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

software — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 19:00:27 GMT

I did not work for a can company.

It was in Alabama, no longer exists!

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

novamc1 — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 19:28:27 GMT

@IamMrsG

If the company rep you spoke with did NOT ask for all available number codes on the can which would identify where it was made and what batch it was in, that company needs a better consumer contact staff and should show a little more concern about quality control.

I've complained to national food manufacturers two times.........once to Bob Evans because a package of 6 sausage/egg/cheese burritos turned out to contain only five, and once to the Quaker Oats people, because every bite of the cooked oatmeal I ate one morning contained rough husks that I had to spit out.

Both times, I was asked to supply all identifying codes on the packaging and where and when I had purchased it, all of which I was already prepared to do before contacting them. They were very concerned and solicitous, sending coupons and written apologies.

A fizzy can of tomato sauce, however, is in a class by itself when it comes to food quality. Good grief. Glad you didn't die from toxic fumes, or something!

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

alliswell — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 20:24:03 GMT

Yikes! Thanks for the tip @IamMrsG

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

chickenbutt — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 20:27:10 GMT

Hi Mrs G!

Wow, that's really scary/creepy! What a shock, eh? That would have probably knocked me off my feet, just with the shock of it all.

Thanks for the warning.

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

sidsmom — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 21:35:10 GMT

Favor:

Can you post pictures of the entire label?

Or at least the ID numbers on the side?

TIA.

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

IamMrsG — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 21:43:57 GMT

@Perkup wrote:
Meaning no offense, did you check the expiration date on the can?

No offense taken. 2018.

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

IamMrsG — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 21:59:00 GMT

PinkDogwood wrote, in part : ...I think I'd continue to pursue this with the Hunt's Co. If you still happen to have the can, especially the label to see if you can see/find a packing number or ID number for the batch, I'd call Hunt's back and talk to someone of more authority.

If you got a can like this, I'm guessing there are more, can't be just one in a batch.

@PINKdogWOOD I gave all this information, including expiration date and store where I purchase the can to the woman at Hunt's.

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

IamMrsG — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 22:20:57 GMT

@sidsmom wrote:
Favor:
Can you post pictures of the entire label?
Or at least the ID numbers on the side?
TIA.

@sidsmom I still have the bar code numbers, if that is of interest to you:

0 27000 39007 8

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

IamMrsG — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 22:02:20 GMT

I told DH about all your comments and ideas about how this could have happened, and he added, "If it came from a hole in the sealing around the lid, how does that explain how it bubbled like it did when you poured it into the sink?"

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

IamMrsG — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 22:10:08 GMT

@chickenbutt wrote:
Hi Mrs G!

Wow, that's really scary/creepy! What a shock, eh? That would have probably knocked me off my feet, just with the shock of it all.

Thanks for the warning.

Hi, @chickenbutt! The young woman on the phone kept saying, "I've never heard of such a thing." I shot back, "I'm 65 years old, and I've never seen tomato sauce do this." It kept gurgling all the while we talked and actually got a little more active. I told her that, too.

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

sandraskates — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 22:46:54 GMT

@IamMrsG - I know it's too late now but taking a video would have been great! Fun to watch too.

I worked for a natural foods manufacturer years ago and any time there was a compliant about a product, customer service did ask for all codes so they could trace back the batch.

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

candys mine — Sat, 30 Jul 2016 21:35:54 GMT

@IamMrsG That must have been unsettling to say the least! Tomato sauce is not supposed to do that! Thank you for the heads up and thank you too for calling the company. They won't know if people don't tell them. You might want to notify the store you got it at too. They might get more of a response from the company. If that had happened to me I think I'd have run the water in the sink for at least an hour and put the stopper in so it couldn't crawl back out! YIKES!

Re: Watch your tomato sauce

Tinkrbl44 — Sat, 30 Jul 2016 21:42:58 GMT

@IamMrsG

Sounds like that can would have been a good prop for a sci-fi movie. The attack of the killer tomatoes? Oh, sorry, that's been done. lol