Overview
- Dr Ashley Ennedy cautions that dents, especially near a can’s seams, can break the airtight seal and allow Clostridium botulinum to grow.
- She says the resulting botulinum toxin can cause rare but potentially fatal botulism, with even tiny amounts posing serious danger.
- Reported symptoms include drooping eyelids, blurred or double vision, dry mouth, slurred speech, trouble swallowing or breathing, limb weakness, nausea and vomiting.
- The NHS reiterates long-standing advice not to eat from damaged or swollen cans and notes that the risk from shop-bought food in the UK is low due to high hygiene standards.
- Ennedy adds that restaurants are not permitted to use swollen or severely dented tins and that inspectors check for this, while many donation centres also screen out compromised cans.