Warning: Potential Chemicals in Canned Chickpeas, Go for Glass Jars Instead
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If you're a fan of canned chickpeas, you might want to reconsider. According to Stiftung Warentest, canned chickpeas could be hiding some harmful chemicals. Don't fret! There's a safe alternative - glass jars.
Chickpeas are a nutritional powerhouse, packed with proteins, vitamins, and minerals like vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, E, magnesium, iron, and zinc. They're convenient, too, as they're pre-cooked and can be used to whip up popular hummus without the need for the lengthy soaking process. However, canned chickpeas have a dark side.
The Austrian Association for Consumer Information (VKI) tested ready-to-eat chickpeas for contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, glyphosate, nickel, and bisphenol A. Their findings? The VKI found bisphenol A (BPA) in all 18 cans they tested. BPA is a known endocrine disruptor with harmful effects on human health and the environment, linked to infertility, increased breast cancer risk, obesity, and behavioral problems in children.
Three products also contained significant concentrations of nickel, a substance that can aggravate existing contact allergies.
Luckily, there are some canned chickpeas that pass with flying colors. Four out of the six glass products tested by the VKI are available in Germany: dm Bio Chickpeas, Dennree Chickpeas, Alnatura Chickpeas, and Marschland Demeter Bio Chickpeas. These cost between approximately 40 and 95 cents per 100g of drain weight.
If you're concerned about BPA and heavy metals, consider switching to organic or pressure-cooked, soaked chickpeas. These methods help reduce exposure to potential contaminants and BPA linings. Remember, brand-specific recalls or warnings aren't mentioned in the available data, but opting for glass jars or BPA-free labeled cans can offer you peace of mind.
Sources: ntv.de, awi
- Food
- Consumer
- Health
- Stiftung Warentest
Enrichment:
While canned chickpeas have potential BPA and heavy metals concerns, no specific brands have been identified as harmful due to BPA or nickel contamination from the search results. To minimize exposure, choose BPA-free labeled cans or switch to organic, soaked, and pressure-cooked chickpeas. Ensure the cans are from manufacturers who undertake further testing and certification to assure low contaminants.
- In light of the potential BPA and heavy metals in canned chickpeas, it may be wise for the community to consider adopting a revised employment policy that prioritizes sourcing organic, soaked, and pressure-cooked chickpeas from manufacturers with low contaminant levels, ensuring the health-and-wellness of employees who consume these foods regularly.
- As diet and nutrition play crucial roles in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, science could be leveraged to develop more efficient methods of testing and mitigating harmful chemicals like BPA and heavy metals in canned food products, particularly chickpeas, ensuring food-and-drink safety for consumers.
- To address the increasing consumer concern about potential contaminants in canned foods, companies may want to establish an employment policy that supports ongoing research and development in the areas of nutrition and health-and-wellness, focusing on creating BPA-free canning processes and products that prioritize consumer health.
