Why Are Some Food Packages Bloated? The Surprising Difference Between a Normal Bag of Chips and a Potential Food Safety Warning.

This can cause a sealed package to expand.

And while some gas-producing microorganisms may primarily cause spoilage, the presence or absence of swelling isn’t a reliable test for whether food is safe to eat.

That’s an important distinction.

A bloated package can be a warning sign, but not every dangerous food will produce obvious swelling—and not every swollen package necessarily means the same thing.

So, Does a Bloated Package Mean the Food Is Bad?

Not necessarily.

It depends on the product and why the package is swollen.

A deliberately puffed-up bag of potato chips is completely different from a refrigerated