Harm of canned food: what is true and what is a myth

Adherents of a healthy lifestyle claim that canned foods are not to be eaten, and frighten with dire consequences. But, as it turned out, the harm of canned food is greatly exaggerated. It all depends on raw materials and compliance with technology. Quality canned food can be part of a balanced diet.

We learned the dangers of different types of canned food, and how the signs to determine that the product is of low quality.

Tourist breakfast: how to identify low-quality canned fish
Surprise stew: harm to canned meat
Grandma's cellar: canned vegetables, mushrooms and fruits

Breakfast of a tourist: how to identify low-quality canned fish

Fish — the product is demanding, it begins to deteriorate immediately after the catch is removed from the water. So that canned fish does not harm health, it is necessary to observe the conditions of storage and processing of raw materials, as well as the technology for the production of canned food.

A considerable part of canned fish is produced in sea, in huge floating factories. Freshly caught fish is cut, laid out in tins, sterilized in autoclaves and sent for sale. Sea-made canned food has fewer spices and preservatives, sometimes only salt. These preserves are the most delicious.

Why does appear low-quality canned food and how to recognize them?

The raw materials were of poor quality, or, to put it simply, stale. This is what happens when the fish is brought to the factory in frozen form. Look at the manufacturer's address on the jar. The farther the plant is from the sea, the higher the risk.
The manufacturer saved on cans. For canned fish, special cans are used, covered from the inside with a protective layer. The metal of the can should never come into contact with the contents. But unfortunately, it happens that the manufacturer uses containers of dubious quality, which oxidize and spoils canned food. If there are traces of rust on the metal can, most likely the fish is unsuitable for food.
The production technology is broken. Failures occur in the technological cycle. Sometimes they fatally affect the quality of products. If the fish in a freshly opened jar smells bad, it is dark, reddish in color, it is better to throw it away.
The content of canned food includes low-quality additives: spices, oil, vegetables. The more ingredients in the dish, the more difficult it is to check each of them. The specific smell of fish masks the unpleasant smell of other components. This is especially true for oil. Not only are these extra calories, but the oil can also be of poor quality.

The good news is that with proper processing, fish retains a maximum of useful substances. High-quality canned fish can be eaten without any harm to health, as a main course and as an additive to first, second courses and salads.

They are even used for meals in kindergartens, and for tourists and travelers, canned fish is produced in heated packaging.

Stew with surprise: harm to canned meat

Jared stew, or simply stew, — an ingenious invention: meat retains its nutritional properties and excellent taste, it is easy to transport, and it can be stored for almost decades. In short, spoiling canned meats is difficult. But sometimes it happens.

Like fish, canned meat spoils due to violations of production technology, the use of low-quality containers, raw materials or additional ingredients. The precautions are the same: inspect the jar, sniff the contents. If there are no rust stains, and the saliva — Bon appetit. As for the causative agent of botulism, which sometimes affects canned meat, 99% of such cases are associated with home preservation. If unsure of the quality of grandma's stew, buy a jar at store.

If the canned meat contains additional ingredients — vegetables, mushrooms, cereals — in addition, pay attention to those products that cause allergies. And if you observe the figure — also on calorie content. Extra calories won't kill you, but they can hurt you.

Grandma's cellar: canned vegetables, mushrooms and fruits

How many man-hours were spent on production of home preservation under the motto "Vitamins for winter!", it's scary to think. Alas, but this is also not true: during heat treatment, most vitamins are destroyed immediately, and those that miraculously survived, disintegrate in the first months of storage.

But the main harm of canned food is not at all in deceived expectations. Along with pickled tomatoes or fragrant jam, you eat salt, sugar and vinegar, and in large quantities. And this excess weight, and other unpleasant consequences.

Canned Mushroom — the most dangerous category of products. Even edible mushrooms accumulate harmful substances from the soil. A the causative agent of botulism in mushrooms is more common than in meat.

The safest canned vegetables — of legumes: peas, beans, lentils. However, we do not urge to completely abandon other species, but be moderate and monitor quality.

Remember that the main component of a healthy diet — enjoyment of food. Without it, the most useful products can make you sick.

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