Why you need to steer clear of Bloated packaged food

Some items are meant to be puffy, like homemade marshmallows. Or pillows. Or cotton balls and cumulus clouds. But packaged food isn’t usually one of those items. Still, there may be times when you’re at the store and spot bloated food packaging. You should pay attention to this and for good reason.

Mostly food items that are packaged and in the frozen food section. Different types of food packages use different amounts of air depending on the food, says Wei Zhang, a professor of food science and a food safety specialist at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Perishable foods like cheese and sausage are often packaged with little or no air to prevent microorganism growth. Some foods, like potato chips, are packaged in a pouch with extra air to preserve the texture and prevent damage. That’s normal. But if an item has swelled beyond its expected size, turning into bloated food packaging, you’ll likely notice it.

But most bloated food packaging is caused when microorganisms found in perishable foods produce gas, such as carbon dioxide. Some of these microorganisms cause food to spoil, and others can even cause food poisoning.

So when purchasing food items, especially from the frozen goods section make sure to check the expiration date of the item also the date it was packaged. Use your better judgement even if you see the expiration date is well off but the packaging is bloated. By doing this you can avoid buying products that are off and most importantly food poisoning.