I wiped off the top of a can of chili that had a pull-top lid in preparation to open it for dinner. I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. As I started to open it, though, I noticed a tiny black mark on the pull-top seam that looked like a tiny hole. I felt it and couldn’t really tell what it was. I finished opening the can and this is what I found.
This can had been stored in my mother’s dry basement. It shows how much more fragile pull-top lids are than solid seamed lids. That’s why any pull-top lid cans that have been submerged in flood waters need to be thrown out and not cleaned for future use.
This is not a case of botulism growth which many of us expect from spoiled canned food. This is visible food spoilage from molds. You will be able to see it when you open the lid if there is a problem.
Be aware when you open pull-top lids!
