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my tomato sauce that I keep in the fridge has been getting pressurized and will pop when I open it. It is so forceful that it splurts a little. The air inside is white but dissipates quickly after I open the jar. It just happened a second time.

Is it still safe to eat? What is going on?

More info: I'm not sure what the fridge temperature is but I have bought the exact same brand and had it be fine the entire lifespan of the product. It is entirely possible I accidentally used a spoon to pull out some sauce that was used for something else.

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  • Is there any metal in contact with the sauce?
    – user3169
    Jul 7, 2022 at 3:09

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This should not happen, and sounds like you have some fermentation happening in the jar. I would suggest discarding. In the future, use only clean utensils to reach into the freshly opened jar. Refrigerate immediately after use, and use within about a week.

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The dissipating white gas from the jar may be carbon dioxide undergoing a rapid pressure decrease, similar to opening cans/bottles of soda/beer.

If it is carbon dioxide gas build-up, your tomato sauce might be undergoing fermentation in your fridge. Can we get more context?

-Is the sauce home-made? If so, ingredients and heating steps? Added acid?

-If it's a store-bought sauce, was there any accidental contamination, i.e. bread crumbs falling in? Double-dipping utensils?

-What is your fridge air temperature?

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    Welcome to the site. If you have questions you should put them as comments to the question, not in an answer.
    – GdD
    Jul 8, 2022 at 14:31

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