Counterfeit canning supplies

[Skagit Canner]

My local suppliers are out of canning supplies, so I ordered $100 worth of lids & bands from an outfit called ballcannlids.com recently. Their website is one of the 1st ones that come up on a search with Google or Bing. I didn’t notice the suspicious ‘double N” in the word “can,” or I would not have ordered from them. The website says “proudly made in America” & features US flags. Yesterday I received the package from China. The lids are NOT genuine Ball lids; they’re made in China, and many of them have small dents. The gaskets are all white, without the typical brick-red sealing gasket that we expect on Ball (and Kerr) lids. Now I see multiple bogus websites for canning supplies, including one that says it’s “official,” and includes warnings about counterfeits--but the website contains the misspelling “officicial” on the header! I’d love to hear if anyone has had success with Chinese lids and bands. I reckon I’ll return them, so as not to have to worry about botulism.

 

[taxlady]

I never heard of counterfeit canning supplies before. I wouldn't trust them. I'll pay attention if I'm ordering online, now that I know that such a thing exists.

 

[pepperhead212]

Welcome to the forum! And thanks for the heads up on this company - doesn't surprise me at all, with the shortage of canning supplies I've heard about.

 

[GotGarlic]

I'm in a canning group on Facebook and this has come up a lot lately. I wouldn't use them.

 

[Biser]

Atlas jars

Classico pasta sauce seems to come in one quart Ball style canning jars. The jars are labeled "Atlas Mason" but I see that Atlas went out of business in the early 1960s. The rings and lids do fit on a real Ball jar.


Should I use them or put the glass into the recycle bin?

 

[HeyItsSara]

Botulism can kill. The possibility of bad bacterial forming from this is very real.

 

[GotGarlic]

Classico pasta sauce seems to come in one quart Ball style canning jars. The jars are labeled "Atlas Mason" but I see that Atlas went out of business in the early 1960s. The rings and lids do fit on a real Ball jar.


Should I use them or put the glass into the recycle bin?

Food manufacturers use equipment and processes that are not available to home canners. I don't think it's a good idea to use them.

 

[taxlady]

Classico pasta sauce seems to come in one quart Ball style canning jars. The jars are labeled "Atlas Mason" but I see that Atlas went out of business in the early 1960s. The rings and lids do fit on a real Ball jar.


Should I use them or put the glass into the recycle bin?

I would be concerned about the jars breaking during canning or while cooling down from canning. In any case, save the lids. I use those lids once I open home canned foodstuffs. They are much nicer to use than the two piece lids. No, I'm not saying to use those Classico lids for canning. I use the jars for storing food. I even put them in the freezer.