# Is this safe to eat?: Airy meatballs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 2, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589 "2012-05-02T00:48:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/1 "2012-05-02T00:48:29Z")
About 2 and a half weeks ago, I bought these beef meatballs from the market. They are sealed, vacuum packed in a plastic bag so all the air’s been pulled out from it. Today, I wanted to use them in a soup but when I took it out of the fridge, the bag has become poofy like a bag of chips! I know its still sealed because I squeezed the bag and no air came out. The air must have come from the meatballs themselves! I couldn’t see any mold or weird discoloration on them, but I was still kind of freaked out. Were these things good? I didn’t even dare to open the bag up to smell it ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/2 "2012-05-02T00:53:38Z")
2.5 weeks? For non-cured meat, in the fridge? Heck no, I wouldn’t eat it, even without the air. Isn’t there some kind of “use or freeze-by date” on the package? ---
**Author:** ![luv2draw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@luv2draw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luv2draw)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/3 "2012-05-02T00:58:06Z")
1. when in doubt, throw it out–and if it’s all puffed up, I would. 2. you kept meat in the refrigerator for two and 1/2 weeks??? ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/4 "2012-05-02T01:11:49Z")
In my defense, I forgot about it ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/5 "2012-05-02T01:19:49Z")
Raw meat? Cooked meat? What’s the expiration date on it? I’d throw them out. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/6 "2012-05-02T01:28:56Z")
Cooked, and it was Asian, so I didn’t see an expiration date ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/7 "2012-05-02T01:46:16Z")
Dude. SOMETHING created that gas in there. Something rotting or perhaps fermenting. Now maybe you have some cool german sausage beer that would taste great but I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/8 "2012-05-02T06:45:49Z")
Yeah, “produced gas in the container” is one of the two absolute rules where you definitely throw it out (the other one being “smells/tastes bad”). I wouldn’t even risk opening the bag. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/9 "2012-05-02T18:18:54Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I wouldn’t even risk opening the bag. I would. Of course I’ve never been known for my good sense. I’d take a sniff, maybe a nibble if it seemed less than horrifying. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/10 "2012-05-02T20:06:12Z")
_Definitely_ don’t take a nibble. This is one of those cases where a single nibble really could kill you. If you’re lucky it might just give you a queasy stomach for a day or so, but death is really not implausible. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/11 "2012-05-02T20:19:09Z")
Don’t open, don’t eat. Didn’t your mom ever tell you not to eat anything from a swollen can? This is the same thing, in plastic. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/12 "2012-05-02T21:11:11Z")
I’m pretty cavalier about stuff like that and I wouldn’t eat those meatballs if you paid me. Toss 'em. Far away. In a trash can with a tight lid so critters can’t eat them. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/13 "2012-05-02T21:11:15Z")
That ain’t air. Proceed at your own risk, and the risks [are substantial](http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Clostridium_botulinum/index.asp)(particular emphasis on the bolded bullet point at the end of the article). Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/14 "2012-05-02T21:35:44Z")
> [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](#): > > Don’t open, don’t eat. Didn’t your mom ever tell you not to eat anything from a **swollen can**? This is the same thing, in plastic. I read that line as “swollen cat” at first and thought, “Yes, I agree.” I still agree, it just isn’t as odd a saying as I first read. ---
**Author:** ![wheresmymind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@wheresmymind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheresmymind)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/15 "2012-05-02T22:00:43Z")
Don’t even think about it. And thank you for posting an “is this safe to eat” question where the answer is “No!” ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/16 "2012-05-02T22:06:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > _Definitely_ don’t take a nibble. This is one of those cases where a single nibble really could kill you. If you’re lucky it might just give you a queasy stomach for a day or so, but death is really not implausible. Dude, that sounds like a _DARE_ to me! I’ll hold your beer. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/17 "2012-05-02T22:36:44Z")
Another thing to consider. If your food is BAD BAD BAD, like no way in hell you could eat it for any amount of money, do not feed 5 pounds of it to a 10 pound dog (Yes, I’ve had some dumb roomies, why do you ask?). ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/18 "2012-05-02T22:46:09Z")
> [@gwendee](#): > > I’m pretty cavalier about stuff like that and I wouldn’t eat those meatballs if you paid me. > > Toss 'em. Far away. In a trash can with a tight lid so critters can’t eat them. Yeah…my general rule-of-thumb is along the lines of “if it doesn’t smell bad, it’s probably fine”, but not in this case. Throw it straight in the trash. In fact, if you have a neighbor you don’t particularly get along with, throw it in \*their \*trash just to be safe. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/19 "2012-05-02T23:42:23Z")
This thread reminds me of [this](http://hellgoo.blogspot.com/2009/12/day-3-begin-of-blog.html) blog (Shoggoth the hell goo, a vivarium some dude on the web made). Also, yes, nuke it from orbit. The meatballs are pretty much doing the same thing we do when WE rot–becoming bacteria food and blowing up like a balloon. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589/20 "2012-05-03T00:13:22Z")
Bah. How can something as delicious as meatballs be bad for you? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-safe-to-eat-airy-meatballs/620589.md?page=2)