RE: "I love using canned crushed tomatoes in marinara and especially in Italian wedding soup"

My Italian Wedding Soup doesn't call for any tomato product, but like most regional morsels, there are so many versions...

I like using diced/crushed tomatoes in many things. I also really enjoy the deep, rich, complex taste of tomato paste.

But when necessary, I preferably use Pomi (which Cooks did not review), or Cento - specifically the smaller can that is labeled something like 'finest San Marzano tomatoes' (this runs for about $5 per can, and are not diced, but come as whole plums, and is fairly hard to find- versus Centos other selections, which are not nearly as good, and I agree with Cooks regarding not recommending those).

But I also do not put it in my pasta e fagioli, and I know that many cooks do. Whatever suits a persons taste!

I'll just keep chugging my tomato juice. I know that it may not be recommended but I personally feel safe enough doing it. I don't keep it stored more than several months and when it is stored it's in a cool dark place.
I also do most of my canning with a pressure cooker. Not tomato products though. I just add an acid to them.
I have friends that still can meats and non acidic items using a water bath and they swear by it and have been doing it all their lives and aren't spring chickens. Maybe they have built up immunities and developed cast iron stomachs through all their years. Maybe just everyone else through the over use of antibiotics and sterilization of everything can't handle the slightest bug anymore.
Either way, I'm sure that if there can be the slightest problem with anything the red flags go up and the warnings go out. Organizations have to protect their arses from pending lawsuits regarding information not released.

I buy the No Salt Added (NSA) canned diced tomatoes. I usually get the Great Value Walmart brand solely because it has less sodium then the Del Monte. When tomatoes are plentiful, like in the summer, I usually sub the fresh ones even when the recipe calls for canned diced tomatoes. That makes it not only healthier but I think it taste better.