Canned Food
Written on Mar 13, 2026
Is canned food harmful to your health? If you pay attention to the opinions of some medical and nutritional professionals, canned food is the worst kind of food you can eat. The problem is that they base their opinions on outdated information and their own prejudices.
You can find both bad and good food that has been canned. It all depends on the source of the food, any added ingredients, and the condition of the containers.
Canning has been around for a long time, since at least the year 1810. Even though the word suggests only metal cans are used, other materials are actually employed. Canning is a method of food preservation that uses glass, steel, tin, and aluminum containers. Almost anything that can create an airtight seal.What some people fail to understand is that in some areas of the world, canned food is far safer than the so-called fresh food alternatives. Not everyone in the world lives in a place with modern shopping environments.
Outdated Information on Canned Food
I read a Healthline article about canned food updated in October 2019. It was mostly good information, except for the information concerning BPA (bisphenol-A). Most of what they referenced was from studies conducted in years before 2016. A lot can change in a few years.
Based on my own research, most American companies that produce or distribute canned food products have moved away from BPA, trace amounts of which can migrate to the food itself. I am talking about companies like Armour, Hormel, and Libby's when it comes to meat products. Of course, I cannot vouch for other companies, especially those where the manufacturing process is not scrutinized.
One reason I avoid consuming large amounts of canned food while in the Philippines is due to concerns about quality or safety.
Food in an Open Market
People leave some food exposed in open markets for hours at a time. I have seen it myself in Kenya and the Philippines. I will trust eating meat from a can over meat that is not refrigerated (for hours) every time. Although I will not write about it in detail, I suffered from food poisoning from ground beef obtained from an open market once.
Street food is just as bad. I know this because I watched a relative cook chicken and pork parts that had been basting in the sun for more than a couple of hours. At one time, I regularly bought barbecued chicken from a street side vendor. Never again. It does not matter that I am emphasizing meat. The same thing holds true for fruit and vegetables, especially when you see all the flies buzzing around it.
The Canned Food I Eat
I cannot name all the brands without looking at them, and I do not stock up on much. I do not buy corned beef from Libby's because the variety I like is too expensive here. As for luncheon meat, I rarely buy SPAM because it is too expensive.
I usually keep a few cans of corned beef and luncheon meat imported from Australia and New Zealand instead of Brazil. Although I can go for months without buying them, I sometimes buy canned tuna, canned chili, and canned beef stew.I do not eat canned vegetables or fruit, except for tomato sauce and tomato paste. It is easier to get fresh mangoes, papayas, green beans, and okra near home than it is to visit a store. Some of it grows in my back yard. Most of the ground beef, pork, chicken, and fish I buy does not come from cans either, and it does not come from an open market.
Image by andressaheimbecher from Pixabay