Can you keep food in an open tin or not?
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You may have learned it earlier: Keeping food in an open tin is dangerous and unhealthy. It is often also indicated on labels that you should always keep leftovers of the content in another container. Most people therefore obediently do not put open cans in the refrigerator.
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But where does this rule come from? How dangerous is it to just leave that leftover tomato paste or chickpeas in the can? We explain below what the danger is â € “and why it is sometimes not too bad.
Tin in your food
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The fact that keeping food in an open tin is not recommended was originally to prevent the so-called â € can poisoningâ € ™. This problem is sometimes caused by the tin that is incorporated in the metal of the can. This can be quite a bit of tin, up to 150 mcg per gram of metal.
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11 minMain dishpeanut oil, tofu stir-fry cubes finely seasoned, stir fry sauce sweet and sour, thick noodles, carrot julienne, beetroot julienne, yellow bell pepper, watercress,rainbow salad with tofu
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45 minMain dishRed cabbage, mild olive oil, quinoa plus, forest outing, lemon, sesame oil, soy sauce less salt, Bio Today tahini white in pot, tap water,grilled red cabbage with quinoa salad
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30 minDessertBrie, Roquefort, port salut, gruyere, Camembert, walnut, garlic, thyme, honey, grape, baguette, Red onion, red grape, raisins, Red wine, Red wine vinegar, Brown sugar,generous cheese plate with onion marmalade
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30 minDessertFull Milk, whipped cream, macaroon, custard powder, vanilla sugar, sugar, protein, amaretto, almond liqueur, basic recipe cooking pears,macaroon pastry with casserole
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When the can is opened, oxygen gets to the inside. This can lead to accelerated oxidation, where some of the tin ends up in the food. Certainly after a few days in the refrigerator, this can add up considerably. This applies especially to acidic products, such as tomato sauce and fruit in juice. After a few days you can even see a dark circle forming where the tin is absorbed.
Effects of tin
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The question is of course: how bad is it if tin gets into your food? Fortunately, that is not so bad. Of all the heavy metals that can get into your body, tin is the least harmful. For example, it will not quickly cause damage to the nervous system. No tolerable daily intake (TDI) has therefore been established.
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That does not mean, however, that a high intake of tin cannot cause problems. The main disadvantage is that it can irritate your stomach. Children are even more likely to suffer from this due to their low weight. It is therefore important to avoid eye poisoning as much as possible.
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5 minDrink without alcoholbananas, cool fresh apple-pear raspberry juice, Soy drink vanilla,soy fruit shake
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20 minMain dishsauerkraut, sticking potato, liquid baking product, half-to-half minced, Spice meatballs, pineapple, olive oil, liquid baking product,gratin sauerkraut dish with minced meat
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40 minMain dishlemongrass, fresh ginger, Red peppers, onions, tomato cubes, fresh cod fillet, coriander, oil, ground turmeric (koenjit), coconut milk, salt,fish in creamy coconut sauce
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15 minSide dishsweet potato, soft goat cheese, egg, spring / forest onion,stuffed sweet potato with egg
Painted or unpainted?
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Fortunately, the food industry came up with this itself years ago. Today, most tins in the Netherlands are painted. This means that a thin layer of plastic has been applied over the metal on the inside. The tin can therefore not simply be absorbed by the food.
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Still, that's no guarantee that everything will go well. In an open tin, the paint is often damaged by the sharp edge of the top. That dark circle can still form at the top of the can. Knives and forks can also scratch the plastic where tin can leak through.
Hygiene from an open can
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In addition, opened tins are not always the most hygienic option. The air in the refrigerator can contain quite a few microbes from other foods. Even with the low temperature, they can lead to spoilage if they get into the can.
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20 minMain dishTasty vine tomato, (olive oil, fresh basil, onion, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano, zucchini spaghetti, pumpkin spaghetti, mini buffalo mozzarella,lukewarm pumpkin and zucchini spaghetti
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15 minSide dishtraditional olive oil, curry powder, wheat flour, coconut milk, sambal oelek, chicken broth tablet, water, fresh mango,curry sauce with mango
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30 minMain dishtraditional olive oil, lean ground beef, frozen Mexican wok vegetables, salsa sauce mild, taco shell, grated young cheese, creme fraiche,Mexican vegetable in tacos
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95 minMain dishmaize chicken, lemon, coarse sea salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, thyme, zucchini, tomatoes (small to), black olives without pit,provençal chicken with zucchini and tomatoes
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Finally, keeping your food in an open tin is also not very good for the quality. The other food in the refrigerator can affect the taste, and the can itself will also give a metallic undertone after a few days.
Keep food in an open tin
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In short, it is not always necessary to move food to another container in an opened tin. If you forget it once, you really won't get sick of it right away. At the most, it will make your food less tasty and you will get a small amount of tin with it.
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Keeping food in an open tin is also not a very good habit. It is therefore wise to simply follow the directions on the labels and transfer leftovers to a container!