Plastic linings in canned foods and drinks leach microplastics

Canned foods and drinks are commonly lined with plastic-based coatings to reduce leakage and corrosion.

Variations of aluminum and tin cans have been widely manufactured for storing food and drink such as soup, tuna, tomatoes, beans, soda, beer, and more for over 200 years.

Since the invention of the can for food storage in 1810, there have been many changes in their design and manufacturing processes.

By the 1950s, interior coatings started to become more popular as they improved leak and corrosion resistance. Previously, without proper lining, rust could more easily form and damage these cans, letting bacteria in and causing spoilage.

Epoxy resin linings were used for decades, and BPA was added to further increase the durability of these linings.

The addition of BPA increased the durability of can liners, but with a cost.

In the late 90s, it was discovered that BPA (bisphenol A) had endocrine disrupting properties and negatively affected human hormone production and balance, impacting fertility and development. 

In 2012, the use of BPA was banned in the US for plastic baby bottle production, and soon after, other uses of BPA were phased out for canned consumables. A study in 2022 concluded that 95% of cans for food no longer have BPA-containing liners. Unfortunately, many of the approved replacements now contain BPS and BPF, sibling chemicals in the bisphenol family with similar negative effects.

Other modern liner materials include polyester resins, acrylics, polyethylene (PE), and polypropylene (PP). None of these substances are currently banned for use in canned food and drink products, and all of them can leach microplastics into the food that comes in contact with it.

Avoiding canned food and drinks can reduce your microplastic exposure.

The inconvenient truth about canned food and drinks is that their consumption should be limited if you want to maximally reduce your microplastic exposure, since hundreds of thousands of particles could be ingested with every serving. 

Some foods such as canned tuna have even higher rates of microplastic contamination due to the environment farmed and wild fish swim in - every ocean and freshwater source on Earth now have microplastics.

Beverages stored in cans, like sodas, beers, seltzers, and even most canned water also have these linings. The longer these liquids are stored in these cans, the more microplastics are released into the contents.

Purchase canned food and drinks in glass alternatives if possible.

Depending on the provided options at your local grocery store, it is possible to find glass-kept alternatives to typically can-stored foods, such as tomato sauce. 

For this same reason, we recommend using glass when possible in the kitchen for food storage and reheating.

How can I further reduce my microplastic exposure?

If you want to learn more about ways to reduce your microplastic exposure with water filtration, safe food preparation, organic clothing selection and more, see our Going Microplastic-Free Guide.

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