Key Points
A recent question from Sandeep Khanna, for instance, inspired this column..
Most thrive in warm temperatures, which is why refrigeration keeps foods fresh for days, and freezing keep most foods fresh for weeks or months..
Red meat, for instance, is typically wrapped in modified-atmosphere packaging (MAP), where an inert gas such as carbon-dioxide is sealed in with the food, to keep aerobic microbes from multiplying..
For well over a century, they have followed a series of steps called HACCPs (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points), to prevent this contamination and ensure the safety of such foods..
Home canners are more likely to encounter this problem, but wherever a canned or hermetically sealed cooked food may come from, if it looks swollen or is filled with gas or bubbles, discard it without hesitation..
