# Red bean poisoning **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 11, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331 "2011-03-11T20:58:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/1 "2011-03-11T20:58:39Z")
Wikipedia and a couple of websites tell me that raw and undercooker beans, especially red beans, can be toxic. How can I tell the differen between raw and properly cooked red beans if I get them in a can? If they’re in a can, can I presume they’re cooked? Shortly before reading this info I ate about a pound of red beans that I’d microwaved for 2 minutes and felt no ill effects. Still, maybe I just got lucky. Are there any such issues with lentils? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/2 "2011-03-11T21:04:14Z")
Canned beans are fully cooked. An undercooked bean will have a bit of crunch to it. ---
**Author:** ![FrustratedIdiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@FrustratedIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrustratedIdiot)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/3 "2011-03-11T21:04:16Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Wikipedia and a couple of websites tell me that raw and undercooker beans, especially red beans, can be toxic. How can I tell the differen between raw and properly cooked red beans if I get them in a can? If they’re in a can, can I presume they’re cooked? > > Shortly before reading this info I ate about a pound of red beans that I’d microwaved for 2 minutes and felt no ill effects. Still, maybe I just got lucky. > > Are there any such issues with lentils? Canned vegetables are cooked before they’re canned. Ergo, they’re safe to eat unheated. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/4 "2011-03-11T21:04:16Z")
Things in cans are cooked. That’s what canning is. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/5 "2011-03-11T21:43:23Z")
It’s probably too late for you already. Say your goodbyes. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/6 "2011-03-11T21:46:58Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Wikipedia and a couple of websites tell me that raw and undercooker beans, especially red beans, can be toxic. How can I tell the differen between raw and properly cooked red beans if I get them in a can? If they’re in a can, can I presume they’re cooked? > > Shortly before reading this info I ate about a pound of red beans that I’d microwaved for 2 minutes and felt no ill effects. Still, maybe I just got lucky. > > Are there any such issues with lentils? It takes hours to cook dried red beans. Di you just re-heat pre-cooked beans? ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/7 "2011-03-11T21:51:00Z")
> [@astro](#): > > It takes hours to cook dried red beans. Di you just re-heat pre-cooked beans? It looks like I did. Since canned beans are dirt cheap, is there a reason people buy raw beans? Do they lose significant nutritional value or taste through the canning process? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/8 "2011-03-11T21:52:06Z")
Canned foods are required to be processed in such a way as to kill even the toughest, most resilient bacterial spores that may be present. That’s more than enough to cook them. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/9 "2011-03-11T22:01:57Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > It looks like I did. > Since canned beans are dirt cheap, is there a reason people buy raw beans? Do they lose significant nutritional value or taste through the canning process? Raw beans expand a lot in cooking. One pound of raw beans = 2 cups of dry beans = 5 cups cooked beans. And they taste great when you cook them yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/10 "2011-03-11T22:30:43Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Since canned beans are dirt cheap, is there a reason people buy raw beans? Raw beans absorb the flavor of the liquid they’re cooked in. For example, if you make black bean chili using canned beans, the beans won’t have as much flavor as if you made the same dish using raw (i.e. dried, uncooked) beans. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/11 "2011-03-11T22:44:56Z")
Also, dry beans are cheaper and cost less (and take less gas) to ship around the country. And you can cook them any way you like. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/12 "2011-03-11T22:49:13Z")
I greatly prefer the taste texture of beans that I have cooked myself. Canned beans are often overcooked and mushy and there is often added sugar and preservatives in the canned stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/13 "2011-03-11T23:00:18Z")
> [@FrustratedIdiot](#): > > Canned vegetables are cooked before they’re canned. Ergo, they’re safe to eat unheated. Actually, they are cooked **after** they are canned, right inside the can. But he’s still correct in that they are safe to eat, uncooked, cold, right out of the can. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/14 "2011-03-12T00:51:41Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Actually, they are cooked **after** they are canned, right inside the can. Some foods are cooked inside the can, but I would be surprised if that were true of beans. I think they would be one of those foods that are cooked in industrial vats and then canned hot. > [@Smeghead](#): > > Canned foods are required to be processed in such a way as to kill even the toughest, most resilient bacterial spores that may be present. Nope. They are cooked sufficiently to kill most common spoilage bacteria. Actually killing “most resilient bacterial spores that may be present” would require cooking at extremely high pressures for half an hour or so, which isn’t done. The few bacterial species that do survive the normal cooking process aren’t common, aren’t able to germinate within the can and aren’t pathogenic anyway, so it’s a non-issue ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/15 "2011-03-12T11:52:03Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Nope. They are cooked sufficiently to kill most common spoilage bacteria. Actually killing “most resilient bacterial spores that may be present” would require cooking at extremely high pressures for half an hour or so, which isn’t done. The few bacterial species that do survive the normal cooking process aren’t common, aren’t able to germinate within the can and aren’t pathogenic anyway, so it’s a non-issue All I know is that in my food microbiology class that I took when getting my degree in microbiology, we discussed at length the requirement for a so-called “7D process”. 1 D, by definition, kills 90% of botulism spores that may be present. So a 7D process kills 99.99999% of any botulism spores. This isn’t as arduous as it sounds - heating at pressure for a reasonable amount of time does the job. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/16 "2011-03-12T12:56:26Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > All I know is that in my food microbiology class that I took when getting my degree in microbiology, we discussed at length the requirement for a so-called “7D process”. 1 D, by definition, kills 90% of botulism spores that may be present. So a 7D process kills 99.99999% of any botulism spores. This isn’t as arduous as it sounds - heating at pressure for a reasonable amount of time does the job. But botulinum doesn’t have anywhere near the “toughest, most resilient bacterial spores that may be present”. It’s actually kind of a wimp when it comes to heat lability. It’s botulinum toxin that is heat resistant, not the spores especially. The reason why canning standards use botulinum as the benchmark is that it is ubiquitous in the environment, capable of anaerobic growth and highly pathogenic. Plenty of other bacteria are more heat resistant but, as I noted above, they either aren’t common, aren’t able to germinate within the can or aren’t pathogenic. So food scientists don’t much care about them. Killing the “most resilient bacterial spores that may be present” would require autoclaving, by definition, and a standard can won’t withstand autoclave pressures, unless you want to autoclave the can in a separate pressure chamber after it has been sealed. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/17 "2011-03-12T13:52:31Z")
Well, I know WHAT I am sugar coating and handing out to all the sweet little kiddies next Halloween. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/18 "2011-03-12T14:31:49Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > I ate about a pound of red beans I assume you live alone. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/19 "2011-03-12T14:52:45Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I assume you live alone. Didn’t have the effect that you think it would have. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331/20 "2011-03-12T15:00:33Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Canned foods are required to be processed in such a way as to kill even the toughest, most resilient bacterial spores that may be present. That’s more than enough to cook them. Could it kill _Geothermobacterium ferrireducens_, thermophilic bacteria that live in Obsidian Pool hot spring (75-90°C) in Yellowstone? (I was going to ask about Strain 121, but that doesn’t qualify as ‘bacterial’ any longer.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bean-poisoning/574331.md?page=2)