While not all foods that contain excess air are risky for consumption, for certain foods, like meat and poultry, eaters should be on alert if the packaging is bloated. Sometimes, if your food's packaging looks puffy, it’s best to skip it, as bloated packaging can be a sign of bacteria growth.

Some packaged foods, like salads and chips, need a bit of extra air to protect the delicate salad leaves and prevent chips from turning into a crumby mess. However, in other cases, puffy packaging could be because of excess gasses, like carbon dioxide, that are produced by bacteria in spoiled food, which cause packages to bloat and can emit foul odors.

Even if the product is still within its expiration date, it is advised to throw away any package that is bloated and otherwise unappealing, since it could make you sick. Bloating is not always a bad thing, though; in high-altitude regions, the change in air pressure may cause food packaging to expand, which is not a serious concern if there are no other alarming signs.