Dented cans

I've noticed that when I look for cans in the supermarkets here, the shelves are full of dented cans and I have to sort through the cans of a particular product to find one that isn't dented.

It's as though the workers just throw the cans into the cases and then throw them onto the shelves, without giving any thought as to whether they might get damaged.

I even see this in Marks & Spencer, which is supposed to be upscale.

In the States, dented cans were never left on the same shelves as undented cans. A small number of slightly dented cans were placed in a separate area, and sold at a discounted price.

I used to stock shelves in a US supermarket, and we were always careful to place each can gently and neatly onto the shelf. We would never place a dented can with the other cans.

Anyone else noticed this?

My local corner store seems to have lots of dented cans. I won't buy them. I don't see it so much in supermarkets like Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose. They should not be on regular sale.

I've been noticing them in big supermarkets.

I buy a lot of tinned tomatoes and there are always quite a few dented ones.  I'm always double-checking to make sure the ones I pick up are not dented.  I agree, the workers should do at least a quick check to make sure the cans are OK.  Part of the problem may be that they are given more stock to process than they can handle in the amount of time given.  I don't want to blame it entirely on the workers, because I worked in a grocery store myself.  I am meticulous, but if you're short of help it's easy to do the job too quickly.

It only seems to happen with tinned tomatoes (in my experience)

I've noticed the tins seem flimsier than they used to and sometimes just bend when they are picked up.
I wonder... Is this a result of recycling?  Or are they making the tins thinner to save money? 

I've never really noticed in either country, but I have images of the Adam Sandler film Big Daddy.

Do the dents in the can damage the goods inside?  I always just assumed the water acted a bit like packing insulation and that the veggies/etc were fine. 

I just asked my husband this. He works for Co-op and says it's their society's policy that severely dented tins are not sold, just slightly dented are considered OK for sale and it has no impact on the condition of the contents of the tin.

I see dented cans all the time in my grocery stores here in the US.  I almost bought a can of pie filling the other day that had a leak and the checkout person asked 'do you really want this one?'  I was so glad she spotted it.

Gently dented cans are ok but cans with big dents are not. First I'd tell a manager, but there is also probably a food safety (govt?) you could inform, too, if you think it's a real issues. I noticed it more in the UK tbh.

I see dented cans all the time in my grocery stores here in the US.  I almost bought a can of pie filling the other day that had a leak and the checkout person asked 'do you really want this one?'  I was so glad she spotted it.

I see them at all the stores I go to as well.  It's not really that big a deal.

Some foods can harbour bacteria if the dents are bad enough.  Don't eat the contents of dented cans if there is swelling, if there is rust inside the can, or if there is a seal broken (it doesn't make that sound when the opener first breaks the surface).  The reason tomatoes might have more dents may be because the tin might be thinner or they aren't discarded as readily as say corn or tinned meat.  The acid doesn't harbour botulism as easily.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulism#Prevention

Some foods can harbour bacteria if the dents are bad enough.  Don't eat the contents of dented cans if there is swelling, if there is rust inside the can, or if there is a seal broken (it doesn't make that sound when the opener first breaks the surface).  The reason tomatoes might have more dents may be because the tin might be thinner or they aren't discarded as readily as say corn or tinned meat.  The acid doesn't harbour botulism as easily.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulism#Prevention

In those instances, of course I wouldn't purchase the can.  I'm talking about your usual, run-of-the-mill dings and dents.

In those instances, of course I wouldn't purchase the can.  I'm talking about your usual, run-of-the-mill dings and dents.

Same here.  I generally don't purchase dented cans, but if I accidentally get one and don't realize it until I get home, no big deal.

I wasn't trying to say  either of you were were right or wrong.  I was just explaining why people are told not to eat dented cans.  I took it upon myself to learn about them when I was at uni and got a significant portion of my food from the discount store, which of course had tonnes of dented cans.  

Now it is a lot less likely to get sick from dented tins, but at one time preventing it by not using dented cans at all was probably a lot easier than trying to figure out how risky a can was.  Now it's relatively easy.