Home Canning and BPA

The newest worry to hit the internet is the threat of BPA in food containers. It seems like everything is now labeling itself as being BPA free, even though the average consumer has no idea what BPA is or why it's bad for them.

BPA stands for Bisphenol A.  It's a chemical that is used to harden plastic or coat metal to make it rust-proof. Understandably, both of these traits are desirable in food grade containers. Unfortunately, when food comes in contact with a surface treated with BPA, the BPA can leak into the food and be taken into the body.

Once BPA enters the body, it acts like estrogen. This can lead to a variety of health problems in both men and women. It's especially dangerous for children that are still growing and developing.

So what does any of this have to do with the picture above?  Well, for years people have thought they could escape the evil food industry by growing and preserving their own foods. It seems that those people might not be as safe as they thought. Canning jars like the one pictured above have metal lids. Those metal lids are treated with BPA to make them rust-proof, so you can boil them without fear of them rusting. Where there's food and BPA there is contamination.

Before you freak out and throw away all of your hard work, know that the risk of BPA contamination from home canned foods is extremely low. If you handle your jars correctly and always store them in an upright manner, the number of times food comes in contact with the lid can be limited. This will also limit the amount of opportunities BPA has to leak into your foods.

Home canning is still safer than commercially prepared foods, but if you are still worried about BPA contamination, you can always use a reusable lid made of another material, such as Tattler canning lids. These types of lids are BPA free and they will last for the lifetime of the jar. They cost more initially, but after a few seasons, the cost evens out.

If you're concerned about BPA, you should educate yourself as much as possible and then look for alternative ways to minimize the risk to your family. Vigilance now will pay off with a future of good health.

If you would like to learn more about home canning, please visit http://www.balljellyjars.com or http://www.howtocanning.com.