The New Steel…Keeping Food Fresh

Many people don’t realize that the peas and peaches that come out of a tin-plated steel can are every bit as nutritious as fresh or frozen foods, according to a study conducted by the University of Illinois Department of Food and Nutrition. The analysis found that certain canned products, such as potatoes, spinach, apricots, carrots and pumpkin, actually exceed the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) requirement for certain vitamins, as listed on nutrition labels.

Many “fresh” foods are picked before they are ripe and transported many miles to market. Fruits and vegetables for cannign are grown near processing plants and canned within hours of harvest (when the product is ripest) to preserve the natural flavor and freshness. Food in steel cans is preservative-free because the canning process preserves the food naturally. And since the food is heat-sterilized after being vacuum-sealed in a steel can, it is protected from contamination.