Yes, It's Okay To Eat Cold Soup Straight Out Of The Can
Get ready with us to find out if it's okay to eat cold soup straight from the can. In a TikTok video shared by the internet's proverbial Gen-Z best friend Alix Earle, the influencer revealed that she enjoys diving straight into a can of soup without heating it up. "I came home from going out last night and I just opened this up and started eating this," she explained in a TikTok with an opened can of cold Progresso soup in her hand. "And I think it's really good," she added, though her legion of followers didn't exactly agree with the "extreme hot take." One follower even went as far as calling Earle a psychopath, while another said that the idea of cold soup made their stomach turn.
Regardless of whether or not you agree with the content creator's obsession with eating cold soup from the can, you may be curious if it's safe to do so, especially since some commenters warned against and expressed concerns about botulism or food poisoning. However, in a statement sent to Mashed, Progresso's Brand Experience Manager Shannon Heine gave the thumbs up to consuming its canned soups cold or at any temperature. "Our soups provide high-quality meals without the extra prep work or cooking time needed, so we can definitely get behind this extreme hot take — even if it means no kitchen time required," she said.
There are some instances where you should avoid eating cold soup from the can
It's only natural to want to heat your canned soup in the microwave or on the stove before indulging in a bowl, but apparently, that's just another canned food myth we've fallen for. As it turns out, the FDA requires commercially canned foods to be processed or heated to a level that helps destroy harmful bacteria and ultimately makes canned goods shelf-stable and ready to eat straight from their containers. So why, then, is it suggested that we heat canned soups before consumption? To enhance their flavors and, of course, help warm us up from the inside out.
All that being said, you can have your pick of any soup to snack on straight from the can, and really any other canned good in your pantry. In a 2020 Reddit thread on the subject, users suggested seasoned black beans, Spaghettios, ravioli, and pork and beans as other solid choices when looking for canned goods to eat cold. However, when seeking out your Alix Earle-inspired snack, you'll want to avoid any cans that are dented, bulging, or leaking, or emit any type of foul odor when you crack it open, as these can potentially lead to illness. Additionally, you might want to steer clear of canned soup — cold or otherwise — when you're sick and try making homemade chicken noodle soup instead.