Recently I posted an article titled 7 Foods Even Food Safety Experts Won't Eat. Item #1 is canned tomatoes. The linings of cans contain Bisphenol-A (BPA) which has received a lot of attention in recent years. It sparked a discussion on the Facebook page about which tomato cans were now BPA-free. Tomatoes are especially concerning because the acidic nature of the tomatoes can increase the likelihood of toxins leaching from the can.
There was some confusion about Trader Joe's, so I emailed the company. Here is their response to me on Feb. 19, 2013:
Dear Ms. Greene,
Thank you for contacting us. Here is the deal with BPA. First, regarding Tetra, all Tetra Pak is
BPA-free.
Second, every glass jar item has a metal lid. All metal
lids do have a layer of BPA coating. However, there is another coating put on
after that. There is no direct contact of BPA to food. We have multiple
supplier testing results showing there is no BPA detected from metal lids.
All our canned fish (and our canned chicken and beef too)
are now in BPA-free cans EXCEPT: Sardines, Crab, Cherrystone Clams &
Oysters (our suppliers are working for a solution next year).
All our canned fruits, beans and vegetables (including
tomatoes, and the Organic Canned Pumpkin) are in BPA-free cans EXCEPT:
Mandarins, Hatch Chilies, Artichokes, Organic Baked Beans (expecting transition
this Fall).
All of our canned Soups and Stews (and including Joe's
Os) are in cans that DO have BPA. Some of our suppliers are expecting they will
be able to make transition next year.
Lastly, Coconut Milk and Coconut Cream is in a BPA-free
can.
I hope this helps!
Regards,
Nikki
Customer Relations
While I am glad they are making strides to rid BPA from their cans, I wonder what it is being replaced with. Some replacements may not be any safer than BPA. And Consumer Reports recommends choosing fresh over canned when possible after finding BPA in many canned products.
Ideally, I avoid canned foods when possible, like cooking my own beans. Tomatoes are difficult. I want to can or freeze my own, but we'll see how that goes this summer. I have heard the Eden has tomatoes in amber glass jars, but I haven't found them around here yet. Anyone know where they can be purchased?
Do you avoid BPA where you can? If so, how?
Top Photo by St0rmz used under Creative Commons license
This post has been shared at Frugal Days Sustainable Ways
While I am glad they are making strides to rid BPA from their cans, I wonder what it is being replaced with. Some replacements may not be any safer than BPA. And Consumer Reports recommends choosing fresh over canned when possible after finding BPA in many canned products.
Ideally, I avoid canned foods when possible, like cooking my own beans. Tomatoes are difficult. I want to can or freeze my own, but we'll see how that goes this summer. I have heard the Eden has tomatoes in amber glass jars, but I haven't found them around here yet. Anyone know where they can be purchased?
Do you avoid BPA where you can? If so, how?
Top Photo by St0rmz used under Creative Commons license
This post has been shared at Frugal Days Sustainable Ways
Thanks for the info. We've canned our own tomatoes for years but have supplemented with canned ones from the store...we're hoping to continue getting a great tomato crop so we don't rely on the store cans. It's good to know about Trader Joes too...!! Thanks again for the post!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome! I have tried growing my own, but alas I did not inherit my mom's green thumb. I'm hoping to get tomatoes from nearby farms and can/freeze those.
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