01 December 2011

are cans safe?

Everyone is talking about the safety of cans.
My response is always the same.
"And here's me without my scanning electron microscope!"
No way I'm taking one person's word over another.
It's all just research - repackaged.

Yet, every idea has a starting point.
It has to. We have to know something, or trust someone, 
or we all live in chaos and fear about everything!
And that's not a good way to approach food.
I refuse to go around being afraid of everything
and protesting everything.

Wikipedia link to Bisphenol A has quite alot of info (link)
The MSDS [Material Safety Data Sheet] clicks here (link)
The LD50 is here (link)
The LD50 is a real world term that stands for Lethal Dose 50.
It means "so much" of a toxin will kill half the population - half the time.
Or whatever time frame they study. (link)


So I wrote to the Company. This is the letter I got back from 
Honey Boy Salmon. And I quote:

"Studies performed by US FDA and European and Canadian health agencies have proved the safety of BPA used in can coatings.  The European Food Safety Authority has determined that the average adult consumer would have to ingest more than 230 kg (about 500 lb) of canned food and beverages every day for an entire lifetime to exceed the safe level of BPA set by the US Environmental Protection Agency.  However, in recognition of consumers’ concerns regarding this substance, the can manufacturers have begun using alternative coatings.  The safety of these alternative coatings has also been confirmed by US and other countries’ health authorities."
End Quote


In the mean time - there's always fresh/frozen!
I still eat from the cans. I know - right?
Just maybe less of them - one good choice at a time!
And I still have plastic basins for food storage.
And plastic wraps.
Who am I kidding? I still have a ton of fillings!
Lots of BPA there.
So much to fix - so little time!

6 comments:

  1. I've moved way away from cans. I even get my coconut milk in cartons. When I want coconut water, I go for cartons. I look for BPA free cans, when I do need some stuff. But, since we're eating fresh a lot, you and I, I don't think we get anywhere near the toxins that folks who rely on convenience/canned foods do. I think moving away from canned to glass or tetrapaks ain't a bad idea, though. :D

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  2. Right! I have maybe half the cans I once did.
    Plastic is everywhere....even the dashboard of the car!
    I think we can cut down of alot without having to cut it out...110%!

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  3. I am not too canny. My coconut milk also comes in the cartons. My pasta sauce comes in glass, so does my pickles, olives, crush garlic...plastic for other things. Oh well...something has to do me in...can't stay here forever.

    Kimberley

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  4. Kick the bucket or kick the can, eh?

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  5. I am learning more than I can retain from you. I had no idea that cans are toxic in large amounts. I don't use a lot of canned food anyway.

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  6. I switched to cans when I quit going to
    Jack In The Bos and Mickey D's twice a day.
    So - it's up up and away with the cans -
    as I can see fit to make the changes!

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I would love to hear from you!