8 Canned Meats You Should Think Twice About Buying

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Canned foods are, without a doubt, one of the most convenient ingredients you can keep stocked in your pantry. Canned tomatoes, beans, corn, coconut milk, and tuna, for example, can take many recipes to the next level and require minimal effort to prepare. In fact, even professional chefs keep canned foods on hand (Bobby Flay, for example, can't resist a can of chickpeas). But not all canned foods are equal. Some, it turns out, might be best left on the shelf. 

We scanned social media and food blogs for recommendations on which canned meats you should keep out of your cart. But just a warning before you start reading: Some of these might seriously turn your stomach. Comparisons include dog food (on more than one occasion), a creature from outer space, and unwashed socks. Don't say you weren't warned.

Ground beef is an incredibly versatile ingredient. You can use it for many different recipes, from meatloaf and chop suey to classic cheeseburgers and meatballs. Most people buy their ground beef fresh, but frozen ground beef is also popular. It's  also possible to buy canned beef from many major retailers. But just because it's possible doesn't necessarily mean it's advisable.

Many people who have tried canned ground beef find the texture and smell comparable to dog food. In fact, some people actually choose to feed it to their dogs instead of eating it themselves. "If I was starving I would devour it," wrote one self-confessed prepper on Reddit. "But I'm not starving, so to the dogs it goes." Others say that if you're going to eat canned ground beef, it's best to combine it with other ingredients (like, say, a strong-tasting sauce) so you don't notice the flavor or texture as much. Plenty just can't get past the mushy texture, though.

The general consensus is that it's best to buy fresh ground beef when you can. If you want convenience and shelf life, though, frozen is a great alternative, as fresh ground beef tends to go bad pretty quickly (we're talking within a matter of days).

In 1940s Britain, people had restricted access to fresh meat because of rationing, meaning potted meats became popular. Back then, many people would have potted the meat themselves to help their rations last longer. But potted meat has evolved since then. Today, potted meat usually refers to a kind of canned meat spread (deviled ham spread, for example, is a type of potted meat). The texture is similar to pâté, but it's much more highly processed than the French delicacy.

Many people who have eaten modern potted meat, which is often used as a sandwich spread, say it smells just like cat food. Others have, once again, compared it to the consistency of cheap dog food. In fact, some people who used to eat potted meat when they were younger say they swear it tastes worst as they've gotten older. Maybe it has, or maybe it's a case of nostalgia clouding their memory of a childhood snack. 

Not everyone remembers potted meat fondly, though. "Good bagged lunch days were tuna or [peanut butter and Fluff]. Bad days were deviled ham or Polish loaf and cheese. Yuck," wrote one Redditor.

If you're going to buy a whole chicken, the first place you would probably think to look is in the fresh section of the grocery store. Of course, there are other popular options, like frozen or cooked rotisserie chicken. But one place that is probably quite low on your radar? The canned goods aisle. But it turns out, you can actually buy a whole canned chicken in some stores. One such product is Sweet Sue Canned Whole Chicken Without Giblets. But many who have tried it say there is nothing remotely sweet or nice about this product.

In fact, most people can't get past the appearance, which Redditors have described as "hideous" and "nasty." It's hard to describe the image, but to give you an idea, one commenter on Quora compared it to "something birthed in an 'Alien' movie." Those who have tried it say the taste isn't much better, noting that it is overboiled and far too soft. Even the bones fall apart in your hands. 

Sweet Sue Canned Whole Chicken Without Giblets has been around for a while. In fact, a taste tester for The Takeout tried it back in 2009. Their verdict? "Cold, wet, and a little too salty."

Listen, we know Vienna sausages have plenty of fans. This is mostly because of how versatile they are; you can toss them into everything from mac and cheese to chili with ease. But if you haven't tried them before, you might want to think twice before buying them as a snack to eat straight out of the can — especially if you're going camping and are planning to eat them cold.

This is because Vienna sausages are high in saturated fat, and when it's not heated, this type of fat is solid. Many say that, unsurprisingly, this texture can seriously impact the overall enjoyment of the sausage. "Heat them up and they'll be 50% less nasty," said one Redditor. But don't heat them up too much, say others, or they'll turn an unpleasant gray color and taste even blander than before. 

However, many people can't get on board with Vienna sausages in any form. In fact, some say that they're not just lacking in flavor, but they also have a strange, soggy texture, while others have been seriously put off by the congealed gelatin at the bottom of the can. One Redditor's verdict? "They look like embalmed baby fingers and taste like s***." We'll leave you with that thought.

Meatballs are a pretty old food. In fact, historical writing suggests that they were a popular snack in ancient Rome. Today, many people still rely on meatballs as a staple. Some like to make their own, while others rely on store-bought versions from the fresh or frozen aisle to cook with pasta or load into a sandwich. Some also opt for canned meatballs, but this particular type is divisive, so you might want to think twice before you buy them.

Many people take issue with canned spaghetti and meatballs, specifically. It's not that these products are always bad, but that you never know when you're going to get a bad-tasting can, which isn't a particularly fun game of roulette. "I've been a Spaghetti O's connoisseur for 31 years. I've had cans that taste metallic, I've had cans that just tasted awful," said one Redditor.

Others dislike canned meatballs and gravy, like those sold by Canadian brand Fraser Farm. Some say they remember growing up with them and enjoying them as a child, but this also sounds like a case of clouded nostalgia. "Damn, they do not hold up to memory," wrote one Redditor. Others say that they look, smell, and taste like dog food. We notice there is a running theme here.

Burgers are one of America's favorite foods. According to a 2024 study published in Frontiers in Nutrition, on any given day, more than a fifth of the population will eat one. Many of those come from fast-food chains like McDonald's and Burger King (the latter of which sells 2.1 billion Whoppers every single year). Of course, there are other places to grab a burger. You can also buy them fresh, frozen, or, in some stores, canned.

Even if you are intrigued by them, the general consensus on the internet is to leave canned hamburgers where they are. On Reddit, people said that a canned cheeseburger looked rotten and slimy. "I'm down with most gross food, but this actually made my stomach turn," said one user. But does it taste any better than it looks? The answer is no. One blogger even said that Westlers canned hamburgers might be the worst thing they have ever eaten; they even compared the texture to beef yogurt.

It might seem strange to many today, but there was a time when Americans would eat pig brains and eggs for breakfast. And that time was in the mid-20th century. In fact, pork brains used to be quite the Southern classic. Although they are still eaten in many countries, organ meats, in general, have largely fallen out of favor in the U.S. If you look closely enough, you can still find canned pork brains on the shelves in some stores. Walmart, for example, stocks Rose Pork Brains in Milk Gravy. 

Sure, pork brains have their fans. But they are in the minority, and most people say this is a canned food to be avoided, or at least one you should think twice about before buying. It's not just that the idea of eating brains grosses people out; it's also because of the way it looks and tastes. In fact, one Redditor even compared it to eating pig guts, which sounds even less appetizing than brains. Others who have tried it have noted that it smells like rotting fish, has a blue cheese-like texture, and leaves behind a pretty gnarly aftertaste.

Foie gras, in any form, tends to be controversial. Its production is even banned in some countries, because it involves force-feeding ducks and geese until their livers swell up to ten times their natural size. Many people deem this process cruel and so avoid it completely. In fact, while you might occasionally see foie gras on the shelves in California, the production and sale of the delicacy have actually been banned in the state since 2012.

For some, canned foie gras adds another layer of controversy because of the taste. While some who have eaten it say the texture isn't that far off from the fresh pâté version, the canned version can come with a canned metallic taste. It's also another canned food that has been compared to pet food. "It's rich and spreadable but looks and tastes like cat food," said one Redditor. In fact, some say the only way to eat canned foie gras is to cover it with so many other ingredients that you can't taste it anymore. This begs the question: What's the point in eating it in the first place?