Why Glass-Packed Chickpeas Could Be Your Healthier Choice: The Dangers of BPA and Nickel
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When it comes to choosing your chickpeas, convenience meets nutrition, but beware, cautions Stiftung Warentest. Chickpeas are nutrient powerhouses, rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and more. And with easy-to-prepare, pre-cooked options readily available, bringing the goodness of chickpeas to your table has never been easier.
However, be mindful of the packaging you choose for your chickpeas. According to Stiftung Warentest, the tested products reveal some unwelcome surprises, particularly in canned chickpeas.
Bisphenol A, BPA, and Your Health
Out of 25 products, only six in glass jars made the recommended list. All 18 canned products were found to contain bisphenol A (BPA), a harmful chemical that leaches from the epoxy resins of can linings into food. BPA has hormonal effects on humans and the environment, potentially impairing fertility, linked to increased breast cancer risk, obesity, behavioral issues in children.
Nickel and Its Potential Dangers
Three products also contained high levels of nickel, a metal that plants absorb from soil. Excess nickel in food can trigger symptoms in existing contact allergies.
The Safer Choice
Among the tested products, chickpeas in glass containers were fewer issues. Your German supermarket shelves stock four such products:
- dm Bio Chickpeas, 350g, Drain weight: 220g
- Dennree Chickpeas, 350g, Drain weight: 250g
- Alnatura Chickpeas, 330g, Drain weight: 220g
- Marschland Demeter Bio Chickpeas, 330g, Drain weight: 220g
These glass-packed chickpeas range in price from around 40 to 95 cents per 100g drain weight.
With potential health risks – such as BPA and nickel – lurking in canned food, it's worth reaching for the glass-packaged chickpeas for a safer, healthier option.
Sources: ntv.de, awi
- Food
- Consumers
- Health
- Stiftung Warentest
- In light of the health concerns associated with BPA and nickel, it is advisable for consumers to opt for glass-packed chickpeas as a safer and healthier alternative when shopping for food.
- Stiftung Warentest warns that many canned chickpea products contain harmful chemicals such as BPA, which can have harmful hormonal effects on humans and the environment.
- When considering a balanced lifestyle that prioritizes health, nutrition, and well-being, choosing glass-packaged products like chickpeas can help avoid unnecessary exposure to potentially harmful substances.
- The science behind BPA reveals its potential to impair fertility, increase breast cancer risk, contribute to obesity, and affect behavioral issues in children, highlighting the importance of choosing food packaging wisely.
- In addition to health considerations, a health-and-wellness lifestyle may extend to your food choices, promoting the use of glass-packaged items like chickpeas, cooking recipes, and global cuisines that support a healthy cooking regime and contribute to overall well-being.
