It is one of the gestures that by inertia we most do in our day to day: we are going to consume canned food and before putting it on the plate, we drain it, pouring the liquid down the sink drain . Is it bad to consume that liquidillo? Can it contain toxic substances? Let’s find out.
To begin with, the liquid in which canned foods are submerged is called a covering or government liquid and it is logical to think that if it serves to maintain them, it cannot be toxic or a health risk . This liquid is not always the same and its composition will vary depending on the food you keep.
In the case of vegetables and legumes, the governing liquid is usually made up of water, salt and ascorbic acid and is added before boiling these foods, after closing the container hermetically. Once the contents are boiled, the fluid will soak up the vitamins and minerals from the vegetables and legumes. There are also canned vegetables whose government liquid contains preservatives such as sodium chloride. Do not panic, because it is harmless, but it does add salt, yes. If this point worries you, you just have to read the list of ingredients on the package to make sure if it is or not.
Other government liquids are: pickle, brine, vinegar, oils such as sunflower, olive, extra virgin olive …, syrup and fruit juices. As we have said before, its consumption is safe, but in many cases it may not be recommended. With this we are referring to canned oils of poor quality, high in salt or rich in sugar , such as the one that comes floating in syrup. As a practical example, of a preserve that goes in sunflower oil it will be advisable to discard that oil, quite the opposite to if the government liquid is olive oil or extra virgin oil, which we will also add to the salad without posing any problem. Another example is that of canned fruit. If we consume the broth that accompanies it, we will be drinking its juice, with which we will provide the body with free sugar , without any fiber.
Do you open a pot of cooked chickpeas and when you wash them under running the tap, it comes out like foam? We return to the same, it is not dangerous. The foamy and gelatinous appearance of the governing liquid of canned legumes is due to the effect that occurs when the water and starch released by the legume when cooked come together. In fact, this fluid, called aquafaba, is highly appreciated by those who follow a vegan diet since with it you can prepare meringues, mousses and even mayonnaise, without the need to use food of animal origin. In addition, this liquid as it is can add more flavor to the dish that is going to be cooked.
And as for whether canning containers are safe, when in doubt about whether to choose a can or can, Gemma del Caño, an expert in food safety and affirms the following in her book in her book We no longer eat as before, AND goodness! (Paidós): “All the containers are safe. The cans are made with materials that have been analyzed and that have shown that the components of said material do not pass into the food ” . The expert explains that in the food industry migration tests are carried out in which it is checked whether any substance in the packaging material passes into the food and, if so, in what quantity. “These tests are mandatory and are prepared by food matrices that are similar and adjusted to the storage conditions. Of course, in the containers we write in what conditions they must be kept, leaving an open can in the fridge is not the best practice, since the oxygen will begin its oxidation task and we cannot guarantee its good initial state “.
