What Are the Dangers of Canned Foods?
An article by Lloyd Walter of the "Toronto Times" reports that although more than 15 percent of Americans eat food from cans, many do not realize the dangers of a plastic-derived liner in the cans called Bis-phenyl A. Walter reports that Bis phenyl A is found in water bottles, but it is also present in tinned foods as well. Scientists are concerned about Bis-phenyl A because even low doses have been linked with breast cancers, reproductive disorders and attention deficit disorders. Alarmingly, Bis phenyl A is even put in baby foods.
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Considerations
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In addition to the dangers posed by cans, pathogens in canned foods are of concern, as well. Clostridium botulinum is a particularly dangerous bacterium; signs of cans with botulism are rounded, expanded bumps on the can, damaged cans or cans that exude pressurized fluid when you open them or food that has an unpleasant odor. Generally, food is sterilized when canned, but, occasionally, an anaerobic botulin bacteria will grow. These type of bacteria do not need oxygen to grow, and they are particularly deadly. Do not eat any foods from suspicious-looking cans. Self-canners should follow the government's rubrics for canning when self preserving their own foods.
Potential
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Food additives may also be of concern to those who eat a lot of canned foods. Cornstarch, corn syrup, extra salt, fat and sugar may be culprits in your canned foods that you may not be expecting. Too much salt and fat is linked with cardiovascular illness, whereas the use of too much corn syrup may be linked with diabetes as well. If in doubt, consult the ingredients in the can before you buy it. Ask your physician for a list of guidelines on what nutrients to include or remove from your diet. Consider whether you might be able to prepare a healthier and fresher version of the same food on your own. For example, if you plan ahead, you can save money by preparing beans rather than buying them.
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Warning
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Environmental toxins may be a danger lurking in canned foods. For example, mercury poses a threat in some foods such as canned tuna. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, a healthy 140-pound adult should not eat a can of chunk light tuna more than once every three days, or white albacore tuna, no more than once every 10 days. The United States Geological Survey is responsible for the study that showed mercury in our ocean food sources comes from rain, which is absorbed by the atmosphere and originally comes from land-based industrial sources.
Significance
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Improper slaughter practices may also pose dangers in canned meat. The magazine "Rense" reports that recalled meat contaminated with E. coli may be recycled into canned meats and may therefore pass inspection by having been cooked at high temperatures. In mid-February 2008, the largest meat recall ever occurred in the United States, where 143 million pounds of cattle meat was recalled because possibly mad-cow disease infected animals were processed through the Hallmark/Westland meat company. A review article on the dangers of meat products reports data from an Ohio University study that found only about half of any recalled meat is recovered. In addition to E. coli and the dangers of mad cow, listeria is another pathogen reported to be found in recalled meat.
Theories/Speculation
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If rendered carcasses contain any pathogens, they may pose a risk to our pets. Rendering plants recycle dead animals and slaughterhouse leftovers into what can be seen in the supermarket as animal byproducts and pet food. An article in the "Sacramento Nutrition Examiner" speculates that rendered animals also pose a risk of contaminating the food supply with mad cow disease.
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