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June 24, 2008

Aussie study finds phthalates in jar lids

Sometimes it's hard to write about this stuff. Here I am, day and and day out, telling you that food packaged in glass containers is a better alternative to canned food -- and it is. But the results from recent tests by an Australian non-profit suggest that even jars pose potential risks.

It's not the jars themselves, actually, but the metal lids. They're lined with a resinous material that consumer watchdog organization Choice says leaches phthalates into 'runny' foods, especially those with high fat content. They only tested 25 foods, but half of those contained levels of three different phthalates above the EU's permitted levels.

Choice has chosen not to release the specific list of products they tested, but they have suggested guidelines. Avoid food in jars that might slosh against the lid if the food contains more than 4% fat (or 4 grams of fat per 100 grams of food). You can get details about the testing on their website. No word on whether they tested for BPA or not.

What's frustrating is how easy it is to spin this into a consumer issue. Just avoid A, B and C and you'll be fine! But we're hearing that so often these days that soon we'll be avoiding the whole alphabet. Which is why, no matter which way we spin it, this is ultimately an issue for government and industry: we need chemical safety standards. The sooner the better.

Photo by How Can I Recycle This?, an awesome UK-based recycling blog.

PS, some of you are probably wondering about mason jars. Clearly the lids were lined with something, but the Aussie group doesn't seem to have tested them. Remember that if you're canning things at home, you have more control over how much sloshing goes on.

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