Tin levels in canned foods are lower than five years ago and are well within regulatory limits, according to a survey of 400 different samples between December 2000 and August 2001 by the UK food watchdog, the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
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Of the canned fruit and vegetables and tomato-based products tested, 99.5% contained tin concentrations below 200mg/kg. This is the maximum legal amount of tin that can be present in canned foods as some sensitive people can experience stomach upsets such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and bloating if they consume any more.
Relatively high levels of tin were found in some samples when canned fruit and vegetable products were last surveyed in 1997, and tomato products in 1999.
The FSA said that in the latest survey, only two products were found to contain levels of tin above the legal limit: one sample of gooseberries and one of spaghetti in tomato sauce. Manufacturers and suppliers voluntarily withdrew these affected batches from store shelves after they were notified.
Most of our dietary intake of tin (94%) comes from canned fruit and vegetables, but most foods contain very low concentrations of tin. Canned foods may contain higher levels because the tin coating used to protect the steel body of the can from corrosion can slowly transfer into food.
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By GlobalDataThe FSA has worked with the food industry and enforcement officials to find out the causes of tin contamination in canned foods and to minimise the likelihood of high levels.
It commissioned the survey to get up-to-date information on tin levels in canned food and to see if moves to reduce tin levels were having any effect.
The survey confirms that introducing cans that are fully lacquered on the inside to contain acidic foods has helped to control and reduce tin levels. The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) supports the 200mg/kg limit.
