Canned Food and Boxed Food

I read every label in the grocery store, on every package or product I use.  If it's not all natural with no preservatives… I don't eat it.

Some members of my family still eat mac ‘n cheese and other processed foods… I can't control what they eat.  As for me, I choose all natural, organic foods, with only the highest quality ingredients.

Some of my favorite foods are:

  • organic vegetables
  • free range organic eggs from local farms
  • almond butter and cashew butter – check labels for added sugar
  • frozen vegetables
  • fresh fish, not farm raised
  • organic almonds, sunflower seeds & cashews

Canned Food

BPA FreeCans can leach Bisphenol A(BPA) into food in cans… especially acidic foods like tomatoes and canned soft drinks. A 2010 report from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned of possible hazards to fetuses, infants, and young children.

I was surprised to find out that the BPA in Ocean Spray canned cranberry sauce is very low and even undetectable while some of these other traditional Thanksgiving foods that are available in cans have frighteningly high levels.

“A single 120 g serving of a food with a BPA concentration at or above 11 ppb would lead to exposures comparable to those that lab studies have associated with disruptions to in utero brain development.  Twelve of the food cans we tested would lead to exposures at these levels in a woman of average weight (65.4 kg, or 144 lbs.).

 

Additional adverse health effects, such as abnormalities in breast development, which can increase the risk of developing breast cancer; and effects on reproductive development, prostate weight, testis weight, puberty onset, body weight, metabolic immune system functions, and gender-related behaviors including aggression and some social behaviors can occur at levels of BPA consumption approaching those that might occur from consuming multiple servings of canned foods, especially those with higher levels of BPA. These effects are most pronounced for prenatal and early-life exposures to BPA, raising concerns about pregnant women consuming a large quantity of canned foods as part of their Thanksgiving meal.”

 

~Breast Cancer Fund report on BPA in Thanksgiving Canned Foods

Boxed Foods

Rice a RoniOne of my oldest daughter's favorite foods when she was growing up (and probably still) was Rice a Roni Broccoli Au Gratin.  Because she loved it, it became a family favorite and when we were having it, we called it, “Dayna's favorite rice.”

In order to make Rice a Roni, you melt butter in a pan and put the Rice in to brown.  One night, when I did that, it looked like my rice was moving.  I wasn't sure if it was just my eyes, or maybe the heat of the stove making the rice move like that… so I called my husband over.

He suggested we take another box down and pour it into a bowl… so we did.  And lo and behold, our rice was moving because it was full of meal worms that were almost exactly the same color and size as the rice itself!

I have never bought Rice a Roni again.  Sorry, Dayna.  I can't bear to cook it ever again! I won't even allow it in my house.

I guess I wasn't the only one with a terrible experience of finding bugs in Rice a Roni Broccoli Au Gratin… I did a Google search and found someone else that had the same thing happen and they wrote the company and got this response:

“We understand how unpleasant it would be to find insects in the product you purchased, and we are sorry you had this experience with Rice-A-Roni Broccoli Au Gratin.

 

Our plants and distribution centers utilize many different means to keep insects out of products as we package them and while they are stored under our control. Insects can bore into sealed packages or enter at any tiny hole or seal crevice. We would never knowingly allow infested product to leave the manufacturing facility. Unfortunately, infestation can occur at any point after it leaves our plant despite all of the precautions that we take to prevent it.

 

We realize that there are often differences of opinion regarding the primary source of infestation which contributed to pantry loss. Nearly all dried food products are susceptible to insect infestation, including cereal products (flour, cake mix, cornmeal, rice, spaghetti, crackers, and cookies); seeds such as dried beans, popcorn, nuts; chocolate, raisins and other dried fruits, spices, powdered milk, and cured meats. We cannot be sure that the infestation started with Rice-A-Roni Broccoli Au Gratin, but that does not diminish our concern for your personal experience.

 

As a goodwill gesture, I have mailed you an American Express gift card to compensate you for your loss. Please understand this is not an admission of liability but an attempt at a fair resolution of this matter.”

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