Canned Sardines? page

[Lars86]

Hey, new guy here! I just recently discovered Mark's work and it is vindicating because I have evolved a routine that nearly mirrors the primal blueprint, just from paying attention to my body and eating things I think are reasonable.

Sardines seem like a perfect primal food; you eat the flesh, bones, skin, organs. Also, because they are so small, they dont build up the levels of environmental toxins that larger fish do.

My question is whether canned sardines have any potential issues. Provided that you avoid added sodium or other junk, how safe are sardines in spring water or olive oil? Are there toxins to worry about from the canning process?

Thanks!
Lars

[Setabas]

I bought them in olive oil and pour the whole can over a couple of cups of spinach. I think Mark said that these smaller fish (sardines, archovies and such) have low contamination levels. I still look for the ones that say they are wild caught.

[AnarchoGrok]

I eat at least two cans per week with mustard. Good stuff.

[yodiewan]

I think most sardine cans are aluminum, not stainless steel, so you don't have to worry about BPA at least.

[Lars86]

I think most sardine cans are aluminum, not stainless steel, so you don't have to worry about BPA at least.

I thought BPA was generally used in making plastics. Wouldn't aluminum be more prone to leeching and need some type of a coating compared to stainless steel which would be fine bare?

[yodiewan]

I thought BPA was generally used in making plastics. Wouldn't aluminum be more prone to leeching and need some type of a coating compared to stainless steel which would be fine bare?

I'm not sure honestly. I know that many stainless steel cans use BPA though. I emailed the makers of Brunswick sardines and they replied that since the can was aluminum, it did not have a BPA lining. I also read on a thread here that Black Top salmon cans are BPA-free.

[CandylandCanary]

I've just recently discovered this as a relatively low-cost protein and omega-3 option. I remember reading somewhere that you want to get your fish oils from the lower food chain fish like sardines, not the big top predators like tuna. As long as you get the kind that doesn't have sugar or starch or crap added to them, you should be getting some great protein and fat there.

I like the spring water ones myself.

[Lewis]

I thought BPA was generally used in making plastics. Wouldn't aluminum be more prone to leeching and need some type of a coating compared to stainless steel which would be fine bare?

I'd think it's more likely to be an issue if the food is acidic. Probably the plastic coating inside aluminium water-bottles, like the Sigg ones, is in case people carry fruit juice or isotonic drinks or the like in them. You can put all those kinds of things in stainless steel - which is why it's used in the food industry so widely (e.g. winemaking). But food cans aren't going to be stainless steel - too expensive. They used to be steel coated with tin, but plastic coatings are common now.

I don't use aluminium pans for cooking, but AFAIK they're not a big problem unless you go boiling fruit in them or something like that.

I guess boiling salty things up in aluminium saucepans wouldn't be a good idea either - salty air by the sea will attack even anodized aluminium window frames.

But sardines in olive oil in a closed can probably aren't going to do much, if anything, to the metal of the can.

[HairyCaveman]

sardines are cooked in the can so anything in that can is probably leeching into the fish.

[Eatmydust]

http://www.ewg.org/bisphenol-a-info?...FQITbAodz3Ltig

plastic lined cans are the worst for bpa
this site lists all bpa product to stay away from....