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Can EWG staff live a week without canned food? Can you?
In 2007 we tested canned food for BPA because the can linings contain the chemical, and we suspected it might leach into the food. And, as we all know now, it does.
Since there are no government safety standards limiting the amount of BPA in canned food, avoiding canned food where possible seems like a pretty good idea, doesn't it? Especially if you've got young kids, whose smaller, developing bodies are more susceptible to toxic exposures.
A dose of our own medicine
Since discovering high levels of BPA - a synthetic estrogen - in over half of 97 cans of name-brand fruit, vegetables, soda, and other commonly eaten canned goods in 2007, we've suggested that people find alternatives to canned food to reduce their exposure to BPA.
But is that easier said than done? Is that really a practical recommendation?
We think it is, but just to be sure, 4 EWG staffers decided to put ourselves to the test.
Tips from the experts on eating without "the can"
Since my pantry does in fact contain more than a few cans (beans, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and lentil soup, to name a few), I called in the experts for tips on how to survive the week.
Kari Hamerschlagg, EWG Senior Analyst and organics expert and Alexandra Zissu, author of The Conscious Kitchen, offered these 8 tips for eating without canned food:
- Have fresh fruits and veggies on hand. With fresh veggies in the 'crisper,' it's easy to cook something fresh, even at the last minute. Consider a farm-to-door delivery if it's available near you (often called Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA)
- Choose frozen fruits and vegetables - handily stored in your freezer - when fresh isn't an option. Flash frozen veggies are just as quick as canned, but safer.
- Go with dried beans. Pre-cooked canned beans are mighty convenient, but cooking dried is cheaper and pretty simple, with a little forethought. If you're eternally time-pressed (that's me), consider a pressure cooker. They cook fast, use less energy, and are available in stainless steel. Another trick: freeze them once cooked so they're there when you'd otherwise reach for that can. (Yes, you can get beans in a BPA-free can; but this is way cheaper).
- Cook ahead when there's time - and freeze some. Many of us reach for the cans when it's 5 minutes till dinner and we've just walked in the door. Cooking ahead (Sunday afternoon?) prevents those last-minute dinner panics.
- Have recipes on hand that don't call for canned foods. It's all about readiness and convenience for many of us, so if you have recipes that work for your family and don't call for canned foods, skipping the cans will be that much easier.
- Make soup from scratch - it's super easy, whatever the season. Ready-made soup is one of those typically canned foods, and it can be tempting to "prepare" an entire meal by dumping the contents of a can into a pan and heating it. Canned lentil soup, for example, is a mainstay at our house for quick kid dinners. But if you make a little extra and freeze it, home-made soup can be just as convenient.
- Find the same foods in safer containers. Foods that typically come in cans can sometimes be found in other, safer containers - glass, for example. (I just bought tomato paste in a glass jar last week, something I've traditionally found in a can). When we choose safer alternatives, we send signals to manufacturers and retailers about what we want. Price and availability, of course, may be factors.
- Have a baby? Choose powdered infant formula - not liquid. Liquid formulas have higher levels of BPA, so powdered is a better bet. If your pediatrician recommends liquid formula, choose the types sold in plastic containers and avoid ready-to-eat. Learn more about choosing & using infant formula.
Check back next week to see how we do. One thing I know will be a challenge: eating out and traveling (with kids! in the car!) - both of which are on my calendar.
How do YOU avoid canned foods?
Once you get into the habit of making food from scratch, it's really quite easy, even with a baby.
If you make your own baby food, you can buy 4oz. glass Ball jars at the hardware store and freeze them. They're also perfect for taking on the go - pretty much the same size as commercial baby food jars.
The only hard item to replace for us was canned tomatoes. But we found one in a BPA-free carton (Pomi brand) that you guys turned us on to. It was at our local Whole Foods. Since then, we're 100% can-free. Thanks, EWG!
I totally appreciate the thinking behind this, but why not a tomato canning or green bean freezing challenge during the summer? Support local farms, develop some new skills and show the world it can be done. So often it seems that we're told NOT to do things. A suggestion that people try to do new things, become a little less dependent on industrial food, is so much more empowering.
What about the "white lined" cans, are they safer? They appear to be a powder coat, similar to a ceramic, and if so, they should compare well with glass containers. I just haven't found anyone to confirm this.
This is a very informative post. Thank you so much for sharing these very realistic tips. To help parents make informed decisions, I explore the basic science of issues like BPA on my blog www.savvysciencemom.com. Check it out!
I no longer buy canned food since I saw EWG's study. (I was a former EWGer. :) )
I'm defiantly used to cooking without canned food!
Thank you Lisa for your reminder and good information!
I miss you all! :D
You can do it! I haven't eaten canned food for at least three years! Great idea.
Fresh foods make much more sense, and frozen are convenient. Some concern about the BPA issue must be reaching the industry - our newspaper recently had a large advertisement along the lines of "don't you hate it when the food spoils - Save money, buy canned - it's better than fresh..." So, true to form, the BIG corporations don't change their ways, they just change their pitch.
Great ideas from Lisa and others. I read in another article that Eden Foods and Trader Joe's cans are BPA free. An article from Eden foods has great info on this issue (google BPA free cans and you'll find this)and what manufacturers lined their cans with before the currently cheaper, technology was developed. As usual, cheaper is the bottom line. I'm willing to pay more for something healthier and cut my spending on other things for better health.
One question: besides BPA, are there other chemicals from can lining that leach into food? Is BPA just one of many?
I am a regular canned food eater who has just becoming aware of BPA in canned goods. I want to learn about freezing foods. What kinds of containers can you freeze things in? Which are safe? I want to start making soups from scratch. What type of container can I freeze the soup in that won't leach?
Thanks.
Sardines are one of the healthiest forms of fish or protein that you can eat but you can't get them (except in a few places)unless they are canned. I have examined the lining of some sardine cans (gave them the scratch test) and do not see any hint of plastic lining.
I would not avoid this wonderful food just because its canned.