It's safe to put unopened canned food in the fridge to chill, right?

[1GirlTwinBoys]

I had a couple cans of cranberry sauce (that's the only kind my family likes) in the fridge chilling before I put it on a plate.  DH said you're not supposed to do that but I know my mom does it all the time.  

 

Is this a problem?  Food safety issues?

[Tangerine]

Well. I did it last night.  I hope so!  I don't know why getting something COLD would be a food safety issue though.

[LinRTX]

I don't put opened cans in the frig, but unopened should be fine.

[Annie G]

You're not supposed to store leftovers in the can (I've read it's a quality issue, not food safety issue) but chilling it before you open it is fine. 

[regentrude]

Why would that possibly be a problem??? 

[Word Nerd]

He’s confused.

[Lanny]

If the can is unopened, I don't see how that could be a problem.  Although I haven't eaten Cranberry Sauce for a long time (we live in South America) I remember eating it when it was Cold.  I think we did once bring back a Can from the USA for a Thanksgiving Dinner here...   Possibly I've also eaten Cranberry Sauce when it was hot, but it's been awhile...  

[GailV]

We do it all the time.  No problem.  

 

Once the can is open, it's a different matter.

 

Edited to add:  How would they ship canned food if it couldn't get cold?  Heated trucks?  

Edited November 23, 2017 by GailV

[1GirlTwinBoys]

That's what I thought.  Thank you!

[J-rap]

I'm sure it's fine.  (I've done it!)  You don't want to put an unopened can in the freezer though, because it might expand and burst.

[Julie Smith]

I'm sure it's fine. 

 

My grandfather once put a unopened can of meat pie in an oven, and preceded to cook it. .... That wasn't fine, it exploded and blew the door off the oven. 

Edited November 24, 2017 by Julie Smith

[gstharr]

Why would that possibly be a problem??? 

Maybe this: 

Dissolution of tin into the food[edit]

Tin is corrosion resistant, but acidic food like fruits and vegetables can corrode the tin layer. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea have been reported after ingesting canned food containing 200 mg/kg of tin.^[15] A 2002 study showed that 99.5% of 1200 tested cans contained below the UK regulatory limit of 200 mg/kg of tin, an improvement over most previous studies largely attributed to the increased use of fully lacquered cans for acidic foods, and concluded that the results do not raise any long term food safety concerns for consumers. The two non-compliant products were voluntarily recalled.^[16]

Evidence of tin impurities can be indicated by color, as in the case of pears, but lack of color change does not guarantee that a food is not tainted with tin.^[17]

Bisphenol-A[edit]

Main article: Bisphenol-A

 

The chemical compound Bisphenol A found in can linings "...is associated with organizational changes in the prostate, breast, testis, mammary glands, body size, brain structure and chemistry, and behavior of laboratory animals",^[18] unborn children and adults.

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a toxic chemical compound present in commercially available tin can plastic linings^[19] and transferred to canned food. The inside of the can is coated with an epoxy coating, in an attempt to prevent food or beverage from coming into contact with the metal. The longer food is in a can, and the warmer and more acidic it is, the more BPA leaches into it. In September 2010, Canada became the first country to declare BPA a toxic substance.^[20][21] In the European Union and Canada, BPA use is banned in baby bottles. The FDA does not regulate BPA (see Bisphenol A#US public health regulatory history). Several companies, like Campbell's Soup, announced plans to eliminate BPA from the linings of their cans,^[19] but have not said which chemical they plan to replace it with. (See Bisphenol A#Chemical manufacturers reactions to bans.)^{[citation needed]}

[Word Nerd]

Your copy/paste says that the *warmer* a can is, the more BPA can leach. Also, “the results do not raise any long term food safety concerns for consumers.â€

[regentrude]

What has any of this stuff you pasted to do with putting the can in the fridge???

 

 

Maybe this: 

Dissolution of tin into the food[edit]

Tin is corrosion resistant, but acidic food like fruits and vegetables can corrode the tin layer. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea have been reported after ingesting canned food containing 200 mg/kg of tin.^[15] A 2002 study showed that 99.5% of 1200 tested cans contained below the UK regulatory limit of 200 mg/kg of tin, an improvement over most previous studies largely attributed to the increased use of fully lacquered cans for acidic foods, and concluded that the results do not raise any long term food safety concerns for consumers. The two non-compliant products were voluntarily recalled.^[16]

Evidence of tin impurities can be indicated by color, as in the case of pears, but lack of color change does not guarantee that a food is not tainted with tin.^[17]

Bisphenol-A[edit]

Main article: Bisphenol-A

The chemical compound Bisphenol A found in can linings "...is associated with organizational changes in the prostate, breast, testis, mammary glands, body size, brain structure and chemistry, and behavior of laboratory animals",^[18] unborn children and adults.

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a toxic chemical compound present in commercially available tin can plastic linings^[19] and transferred to canned food. The inside of the can is coated with an epoxy coating, in an attempt to prevent food or beverage from coming into contact with the metal. The longer food is in a can, and the warmer and more acidic it is, the more BPA leaches into it. In September 2010, Canada became the first country to declare BPA a toxic substance.^[20][21] In the European Union and Canada, BPA use is banned in baby bottles. The FDA does not regulate BPA (see Bisphenol A#US public health regulatory history). Several companies, like Campbell's Soup, announced plans to eliminate BPA from the linings of their cans,^[19] but have not said which chemical they plan to replace it with. (See Bisphenol A#Chemical manufacturers reactions to bans.)^{[citation needed]}

 

[RootAnn]

Wow. DH does this all the time. I can't see any reason why it would be a problem when the can hasn't been opened yet!

[Carrie12345]

My impression (I've never researched the science) is that the introduction of air is what makes storing opened cans in the fridge bad.  I don't know that that's *fridge* dependent, specifically, but who would store an open can outside of the fridge?

 

I chill my unopened cranberry sauce every year, just like my mother and grandmother before me.  I made it through my 41st Thanksgiving just fine.  :thumbup1: