# Food safty questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 14, 2006, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-safty-questions/364501 "2006-07-14T18:23:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-safty-questions/364501/1 "2006-07-14T18:23:03Z")
OK I have one question, but feel free to ask other related questions in this thread. Is it safe to eat refried-beans from a tin if they have not been fully reheated? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-safty-questions/364501/2 "2006-07-14T18:24:21Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-safty-questions/364501/3 "2006-07-14T18:26:40Z")
Unless the can has been punctured, is swollen, or smells “off,” food is safe to eat straight from the can without reheating. It just tastes better heated. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-safty-questions/364501/4 "2006-07-14T18:27:40Z")
Generally food in tins has been sterilised so that it will keep for many months in the tin, so it’s safe to eat pretty well anything straight from a tin. However, for other reasons, I wouldn’t eat dog or cat food from a tine (heated or not). But refried beans will be just as safe as any other kind of beans in a tin. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-safty-questions/364501/5 "2006-07-14T18:29:26Z")
[QUOTE=Doctor Who] Yes. [/QUOTE] Silenus has supplemented my answer - but I decided to go cite-fishing as well. Here’s a [cite](http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/factsheets/foodand.htm) from the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness office or whatever. The relevant section says: > [@](#): > > canned foods won’t require cooking, water or special preparation Also anecdotally - I can say that I’ve eaten quite a few canned goods cold (direct from the can) without any ill-effects. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-safty-questions/364501/6 "2006-07-14T18:37:44Z")
Thanks, that is what I ‘knew’. But I was affraid my knowledge may have been out of date or faulty. In a recent thread was discussion on storing oil. What dangers are there from eating slightly rancid oil (ie oil which is becoming rancid, but does not yet taste bad or smell rancid)? ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-safty-questions/364501/7 "2006-07-14T18:54:13Z")
Um, Is everything ok **Bippy**? I can have a couple of Lou Malnati’s deep dish pizzas sent overnight if all you have is cold refried beans and rancid oil…. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-safty-questions/364501/8 "2006-07-14T18:56:31Z")
[QUOTE=Bippy the Beardless] In a recent thread was discussion on storing oil. What dangers are there from eating slightly rancid oil (ie oil which is becoming rancid, but does not yet taste bad or smell rancid)? [/QUOTE] Rancidity is not due to living critters like bacteria or mold. Oil goes rancid when its fatty acids become oxidized. This effects the taste, but does not make the oil dangerous to consume. From [The Olive Oil Source](http://www.oliveoilsource.com/olive_oil_storage.htm) > [@](#): > > A two year old olive oil may taste rancid to some while others don’t mind it. Most people would be put off by the taste of any vegetable oil more than 4-5 years old. Rancid oil has fewer antioxidants but is not poisonous. A good percentage of the world’s population routinely eat rancid oil because of lack of proper storage conditions and some actually prefer the taste. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-safty-questions/364501/9 "2006-07-14T18:57:19Z")
[QUOTE=Bippy the Beardless] In a recent thread was discussion on storing oil. What dangers are there from eating slightly rancid oil (ie oil which is becoming rancid, but does not yet taste bad or smell rancid)? [/QUOTE] Rancidity is not due to living critters like bacteria or mold. Oil goes rancid when its fatty acids become oxidized. This affects the taste, but does not make the oil dangerous to consume. From [The Olive Oil Source](http://www.oliveoilsource.com/olive_oil_storage.htm) > [@](#): > > A two year old olive oil may taste rancid to some while others don’t mind it. Most people would be put off by the taste of any vegetable oil more than 4-5 years old. Rancid oil has fewer antioxidants but is not poisonous. A good percentage of the world’s population routinely eat rancid oil because of lack of proper storage conditions and some actually prefer the taste. ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-safty-questions/364501/10 "2006-07-14T19:28:03Z")
[Here](http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/cat_steve_dont_eat_it.php) is a list of foods that technically can be eaten. Don’t know that you should, though. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-safty-questions/364501/11 "2006-07-14T20:16:59Z")
Thanks for the Steve don’t eat it link 🙂 Also thanks for the concern, don’t worry about me, but some of my olive oils are over a year old they still taste fine but I was worried I might be poisoning myself or my friends. As for refried beans, I was previously reheating them fully before adding to a tortilla that I would then quickly warm up. Also being in earthquake zone I wanted to check that my emergency food supplies (mostly tins of stuff) would be safe to eat cold if there was no power for cooking.