# Sausage tube is puffy w/ air -- safe to eat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 10, 2003, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sausage-tube-is-puffy-w-air-safe-to-eat/194189 "2003-08-10T12:57:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Dun\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@The\_Dun\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Dun_King)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sausage-tube-is-puffy-w-air-safe-to-eat/194189/1 "2003-08-10T12:57:23Z")
Yesterday I bought a tube of pork sausage, the variety that is encased in a one-piece tube of plastic crimped shut with metal clips at either end. When I got home I had noticed that the package was puffy and tight, and it felt like there was a lot of air between the plastic and the meat. Normally, the packaging is loose (I can typically pinch a little plastic between my fingers) and when you squeeze it, you feel more meat than air. Is this safe to eat? Does it mean that the sausage has gotten above a safe temperature and gone bad? The Dun King ---
**Author:** ![Yuki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@Yuki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yuki)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sausage-tube-is-puffy-w-air-safe-to-eat/194189/2 "2003-08-10T13:13:53Z")
What’s the expiration date on that? From what I’ve heard, alot of air like that means decomposition’s going on, but I may be thinking of bulging canned food… ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sausage-tube-is-puffy-w-air-safe-to-eat/194189/3 "2003-08-10T13:38:42Z")
I would think that the only plausible explanation for the puffiness is gasses produced by bacteria. If you open the package you may find it smells bad. Regardless of the smell, I wouldn’t eat it. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sausage-tube-is-puffy-w-air-safe-to-eat/194189/4 "2003-08-10T13:46:42Z")
More than likely the air was just pumped into the tube when it was stuffed. I’ve bought sausage like that before and had no problems. If you’re that worried about it do like **Gary T** said and smell it. Or hell w/ it feed it to the dogs or whatever. You are planning on cooking it before you eat it right? If it has a brand name call the maker or the store at least. They would probably be happy to replace the sausage rather than have a customer get sick and possibly file a lawsuit. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sausage-tube-is-puffy-w-air-safe-to-eat/194189/5 "2003-08-10T13:50:32Z")
The Dungking…pinching tubes of stinky sausage…puffy and tight w/ gas…sheesh. There goes my breakfast. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sausage-tube-is-puffy-w-air-safe-to-eat/194189/6 "2003-08-10T13:52:40Z")
Sorry I forgot to 😉 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Dun\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@The\_Dun\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Dun_King)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sausage-tube-is-puffy-w-air-safe-to-eat/194189/7 "2003-08-10T14:39:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by t-keela \* > \*\*The Dungking…pinching tubes of stinky sausage…puffy and tight w/ gas…sheesh. There goes my breakfast. :eek: \*\* Yeouch. Your post caused me t’-keela-over in loud groans and intestinal distress. 😉 And there goes your breakfast, indeed, at least the sausage part of it. I took it back to the store ASAP, never checked the date. I did give the other tubes in the store’s cooler a good squeeze and they all seemed a little poofy. I told the guy at the register, but it was late Saturday night and he seemed to have other priorities. I think I’ll check back on Monday and see if anything was done about it. The Dun King p.s. Oh and it’s the DUN King, ya know, like demanding payment for a debt. Or that grayish-brown color. Or, er, something not related to dung. 🆒