CANNED FOOD SAFETY,HEALTH HAZARDS & STORAGE ARTICLE

All of us have used canned food once in our life time. Canned foods are the most prominently used packed food all over the world. We can see the canned food in each house hold. People use them because they are easy to be maintained & need less time to be cooked. Moreover they don't loose their natural taste as well. But to keep their taste & quality for long time certain care should be taken while using them. Moreover there are certain limits to how long food quality can be preserved. You must be asking why? It's because several factors limit the shelf-life of canned foods such as:-

Cans or glass jars with metal lid can get rusted if not used properly i.e. touched by wet hands or spoon & when rust will be deep enough, tiny holes open in the can or lid may let spoilage agents in & will spoil the food. That's why we should avoid water contact from can.

Cans could even corrode, if food will chemically react with metal container. Especially highly-acid food like canned tomatoes and fruit juices gets easily corroded. When kept or used for several years causes change in taste and texture. It eventually lowers down the nutritional food value also. So this type of food should not be kept for very long time in home

Temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit are harmful for canned foods. If the storage temperature rises, the risk of spoilage of food jumps sharply. There are high chances of loosing nutrient of the caned food, if stored at above 75 degree for very long period. In the glass jars the light can cause color changes and nutrient losses in foods. That's why we are advised to use the older canned food earlier than the newer one i.e. we should follow the technique of LIFO (last in first out).

We should never use foods from containers with the spoilage warning signs given on the container. So before taking the can check for statements written along the top, side or bottom seam.

You should never take loose or bulging lids on jars; leaking or badly dented can or foods with a foul odor. These all are the symbols of old or poor packaging of food. If the packaging will be old the product inside the can can't be used for longer time period.

If the cans doesn't show any sign of spoilage or damage than also you should take care as a edible inside it may deteriorate in color, flavors & nutritive value. So don't go on packaging but check out the date.

There are certain points which should be kept in mind while storage of the canned food. For better & prolonged use of canned food we must keep them in mind. It will solve your purpose of keeping canned food at your home. So be ready to apply them in your kitchen & enjoy your food as longer as you want.

Health hazards :

 Do you know that there is a reported dangers about canned goods for your health? Read on why canned goods are not the best choice for your meal.


People don't realize that canned good has more damaging effects to your body than just satisfying your hunger. Researched shows that metal cans thin plastic lining contains bisphenol-A, a chemical responsible for gene destruction. Commonly known as BPA, bisphenol-A is a industrially produced chemical which are commonly used in polycarbonate plastics. It is responsible for higher risk of infertility, diabetes, heart diseases and most of all cancers. Other effects include less sperm count, neurotoxicity, allergic reactions and brain insufficiency.

The more alarming is that, the more longer the food stayed in the can, the more BPA migrates to the food itself. Though you may not be able to find canned goods that goes straight to your community supermarket, this makes the products more cancer potent. Other sources of BPA are found in plastic containers such as mineral water plastic bottle and other juice drinks. Better not to re-use those plastic containers and must be dispose after use.

Study also shows that all canned food products has bisphenol-A. The older the canned product, the higher level of BPA can be found. FDA of the US government allowed the maximum use of bisphenol-A contained products for just only one serving per day and not advisable to fed for infants as they are very sensible with BPA.

The good thing about BPA is that they can only found in processed foods and food packaging materials. So the fresher and raw foods you eat, the more safer and healthier you get. Prevent processed and packaged foods and you can be sure that you are eating a bisphenol-A free in your meals.

Tips For Using Canned Food

You should always store cans in a cool, clean & dry place where temperatures must be below 85 degrees. It is advisable to keep temperature between 50-70 degrees but not at the freezing temperatures.

Foods should be rotated so the older one is used first &later one at last. Moreover you should not try to keep canned foods more than one year because the edibles may get spoiled after such a long period.

As like other food canned foods, canned meats and seafood must be used within 12 months.

The high-acid canned foods must be used within 6-8 months as they can easily react with metal.

Canned fruit juices can be stored up to 3 years but keep check on it. They should be kept at right temperature, what is prescribed on the can.

Before storing the food you must read the instructions given on the can. It will help you out in storing the food at right temperature & right place.

These all points or safety measures will help you out in keeping your canned fresh & usable for longer period. You can feel free in using the canned food if you will keep them carefully. So handle the canned food with care & enjoy the nature fresh food anytime, anywhere.