Canning

Canned food, contrary to popular belief, can form part of a healthy balanced diet. It's often assumed that canned foods are a poor source of vitamins and minerals. Canned foods in many cases provide similar amounts of vitamins and minerals to fresh equivalents, and are often a good source of protein and fibre too. Foods from each of the main food groups needed for a balanced diet - Breads, pasta, cereals & potatoes; Fruit & vegetables; Milk & dairy; Meat, fish & vegetarian alternatives - come in a can, offering a convenient choice and at the same time can form part of a healthy diet. This is especially the case if you choose products with low salt, no added salt, no added sugar or foods canned in fruit juice or water rather than syrup or brine.

Canning of foods is just one type of food preservation. Canned foods are often overlooked as an economical source of nutrients, but the very process of canning preserves foods and nutrients and in some cases increases the bioavailability of nutrients. Canning of foods first occurred in the 18th century but in jars! Due to the demands of long sea voyages, armies being away from home for long periods and the increasing needs of urban populations, effective means of food preservation were required. At the time, methods of preservation included drying, smoking, pickling and salting of foods, but were inadequate for preserving foods for a long period of time.

The majority of canned products are canned immediately or very soon after harvest, when nutrient concentrations and eating quality are at their highest. This ensures that many of the vitamins and minerals are retained in the can. Canning is a useful way to preserve vitamins, as concentrations of some vitamins can decrease by 50% within the first 7 days after harvest when stored at ambient temperatures.

Vitamin C and foliate are both particularly labile nutrients; however, despite some initial losses that occur during the canning process, vitamin C and foliate concentrations remain constant throughout the shelf life of the product. Canned spinach, kidney beans and chickpeas are all good sources of foliate. Canned baby sweet corn, apricots and gooseberries all provide more vitamin C than their fresh equivalents. Canned foods are already cooked, so preparation of canned foods results in minimal further loss of nutrients. Additionally canned foods are good sources of some minerals; iron and zinc can be found in meat and meat products, whilst calcium can be found in many canned fish.

Look at the facts below…

• It's a myth that canned foods are all high in salt, fat or sugar. Due to advances in technology many canned products are preserved in water rather than brine or fruit juice rather than syrup, and many of your favourite canned meals come in lower fat choices too.
• Canned fruit and vegetables count towards the recommended 5 daily, 80g servings of fruit and vegetables. Remember to eat a wide variety! Ideally choose those that are not canned in syrup or brine.
• Canned beans and lentils such as red kidney beans and chickpeas can also contribute towards your 5 portions of fruit and vegetables. Canned beans and lentils are good source of a number of vitamins and minerals. For example, canned kidney beans are a source of calcium, required for maintaining healthy bones, phosphorus, an essential component of all cells, and thiamin which is required for energy metabolism. Chickpeas are a source of the antioxidant, vitamin E.
• Canned fish provides more calcium than fresh fish - fresh fish have to be de-boned but the canning process softens small bones, enabling them to be eaten, and thereby it acts as a source of calcium needed for maintaining healthy bones.
• Canned salmon, mackerel, sardines and kippers are all sources of long chain omega-3 fatty acids, which play a role in the prevention of heart disease. The long chain omega-3 fatty acid content is comparable to that found in fresh fish.
• Tuna canned in brine or spring water, unlike fresh tuna is low in fat (the canning process removes fat) and is therefore useful for those watching their calorie or fat intake. However, it does not provide long chain omega-3 fatty acids.
• Canned tomato soup is one of the best sources of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked with a reduced incidence of some types of cancer. Cooking tomatoes makes lycopene more available for the body to use.
• Canned meals can form part of a healthy balanced diet. Canned Irish stew is a source of iron, and can often be lower in fat than home made stew. Teamed with a couple of servings of low or no added salt vegetables it makes for a balanced meal providing vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein.
• Contrary to popular belief, canned fruits and vegetables are a source of vitamin C. A 100g serving of tomatoes, spinach or apricots all provide almost a quarter of the Recommended Daily Amount (RDA) for vitamin C, providing more than fresh equivalents. Whilst a serving of canned gooseberries or blackcurrants provides over half of the RDA.
• Canned fruits, vegetables, beans and lentils are good sources of fibre, for example 3 tablespoons of kidney beans provide 6g of fibre whilst half a can of ratatouille provides 3g. Adults should aim to consume at least 18g of fibre daily; children proportionately.