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Safe
Handling of Canned Goods
This
fact sheet focuses on commercially canned goods. For information on home canning,
request HGIC 3040, Canning Foods At Home. Canning
is an important, safe method of food preservation if practiced properly. The canning
process involves placing foods in jars or cans and heating them to a temperature
that destroys microorganisms that could be a health hazard or cause the food to
spoil. Canning also inactivates enzymes that could cause the food to spoil. Air
is driven from the jar or can during heating, and as it cools, a vacuum seal is
formed. This vacuum seal prevents air from getting back into the product bringing
with it microorganisms to recontaminate the food. 
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