Tomatoes Please. Hold the BPA.
October 23 It's officially chili season, people. And another year has gone by wherein there are no better BPA-free canned tomato products on the market. I've been ramping up my gardening, but I'm nowhere near canning all of our own tomatoes yet.
So what's a chili-loving girl to do?
There are some companies, notably Eden Organics, who can beans and other vegetables in BPA free cans. When I'm not using dried beans, I always turn to Eden.
But the acidity of tomatoes means that even Eden can't make a BPA free canned tomato product. Scanning high and low, I've come up with a scant three BPA free products. First there's Pomi, in a tetra-pak. The container is not recyclable or compostable, but it is BPA free. In glass jars, I've found BioNaturae and a brand called Cirio.
BioNaturae is found in many East Coast shops, and their pasta is--hands down--my favorite organic brand. The tomatoes are the priciest choice and only come in a very well pureed texture. Pomi's "chopped" product is a more traditional chili texture.
The Cirio brand has a texture in between the other two. Problem: these are not sold in my town. It is an Italian import which I found at Fairway in New York City, a store full of quirky European brands that aren't widely available.
Why aren't there more glass containers? A BPA discussion over at Groovy Green Livin' brought up this question, with a less than satisfying answer from a representative of Annie's products--that glass is heavy and difficult to transport.
True. But it's also oh so recyclable. I argue that it's more efficient to can tomatoes in 24 ounce jars than it ever will be to put baby food in 3 ounce jars. And I don't hear any companies suggesting that baby food should soon appear in BPA lined cans.
Dear Muir Glen (owned by giant General Mills) I'm talking to you! Your pasta sauces reach my store in glass jars. Please, please consider putting those tomato products in glass, too.
Enough, already.
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Reader Comments (8)
Hi Sarah-thanks so much for continuing the discussion of BPA in canned goods and thanks for the mention! You raise a great point-when it comes to baby food they are all in those small glass containers. I am still not understanding the logic behind keeping acidic tomato products in BPA lined cans when glass jars are available. My guess is it all comes down to the good ol' bottom line and that is outweighing our health and safety. I've had enough too. BPA doesn't belong anywhere close to food.
Urgh! I didn't even know there was BPA in the cans tomatoes come in. Great. One more thing to worry about. Thanks for posting the great alternatives, though--we go through SO many canned tomatoes... guess I'll be spending a little more on groceries now. Oh well.
I am having the same frustrations! I bought the Pomi last week, but as a Trader Joe's loyalist, I'm disappointed that it can't be found there yet.
It is disappointing that even up to this day, the industry has not identified a reliable alternative to BPA. Kudos to Eden Foods, they have been leading the BPA-free way for years and I am pleased that all of their organic bean products in cans is lined without BPA.
I don't get this either. How come I can buy pasta sauce in glass jars, but not tomato sauce or diced tomatoes? I've tried using a pretty basic pasta sauce on my pizza, but it just isn't the same... I tried canning my own diced tomatoes this year to try to skirt this whole canned food thing -- but I haven't tried them yet as I can still buy fresh, so the jury is still out.
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