Dangers of Eating Canned Food

1. Bisphenol or BPA

The most dangerous of all, among canned foods that can harm you, is plastic contaminants in our canned goods. Most canned food these days have a plastic coating inside the can to supposedly keep the food, vegetables, and fruits – fresh. Well, it may keep them more but this comes at the expense of harming you

This plastic coating is known as Bisphenol , or BPA for short and it is harmful, because humans are not suppose to eat plastic material made from crude oil. Make sense?

In some cases, one little drop of BPA is enough to kill rats in labs.

BPA is a toxic chemical that causes hormone imbalances and wide variety of health issues ranging from hypertension, aggression ,  obesity, heart disease, reproductive abnormalities, neurological effects, heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and other serious health problems.

A study by Environmental Working Group shows that more than 50% of cans with brand names have toxic BPA in them.

Caution: Avoid canned food as much as possible

2. Imported Canned Food

First the foods are picked when they are not ripe and have 80% less nutrients than a fully ripe fruits and vegetables.

Second, the facilities are not as hygienic and inspected on a regular basis and hence have the cause of a few incidences of outbreaks in the last 20 years, like the famous incident regarding canned green beans from Brazil or the salmonella outbreak from sprouts from Columbia

3. Aluminum leaks

Just as Aluminum pots and pans leak, so do aluminum cans.

Many people thought that putting food into aluminum cans, sealed and cooked will retain the freshness. This is absolutely wrong! The aluminum radicals will retain inside the cans and contaminate the food!

When too much aluminum is accumulated inside the body, memory issue like Alzheimer's will occur.

Some believe that the plastic lining of aluminum cans can prevent corrosion and contamination. However, in reality, the plastic liners cannot protect the food completely against aluminum because aluminum will leak out when heated and contaminate the food.

Caution: Do not heat the food with aluminum can together. For your own safety, separate the food from the can then proceed to heating.

4. Preservatives (Salt)

Extensive amount of sodium (salt) is used to keep the preservatives in canned food from rotting.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  responded and issued a statement, “… there has been no proof that these preservatives would cause major damage to human cells or that they are harmful to mass public”.

Part of what they say is true. If you follow the healthy guideline and only consume what is needed for your body, salt is not harmful.


However, from my knowledge, if you take too much intake of salt can cause hypertension, dehydration if you do not drink enough water and also kidney damage in a long run.

Caution: Know your limits and only consume what is needed, not too much.

5. Low level food quality

Let’s be honest with ourselves and admit that if the fruits and vegetables and other ingredients are of high quality, they will be sold fresh and at high price.

Now if the quality of the ingredients are not that great or the fruits and vegetables look old and stale or not so healthy, then they will be hidden from the eyes of supermarket shoppers and be forced into a can along with other low quality food, cooked up in a mass oven while still inside the can and then shipped all over the world and sold may be one or two years later from when they were picked and were prepared.

Caution: Don’t expect the ingredients inside your canned foods to be of high quality because they are usually not.

Some important guideline to take note:

  1. Avoid canned food as much as possible

  2. Transfer canned food into glass jar when storing, to prevent further contamination of metal.

  3. Avoid genetic engineered food

  4. Organic good is always a better choice.

  5. If you're able to grow your own fruits and vegetable, that would be the best (You eat what you grow)

Stay healthy and happy! Cheers!