HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 December 1943, Page 6

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

TINNED FOODS CAREFUL EXAMINATION PAYS (By the Department of Health) The needs of the times have given tinned foods of many kinds a new importance in the household larder, and as time goes on it is possible, that canned goods will be more prominent in the domestic menu. Therefore, a word of warning about looking after these tinned goods properly. See that your stocks of tinned foods are well looked after, and in a place where they are not likely to be damaged. Above all, don't store them in a damp place. Rust might develop if there is too much moisture, and this leads to perforation of the tin. That, of course, means complete destruction of the contents. Always examine a tin carefully before using it. A “blown” tin may be detected from the fact that one, or both, of its ends are bulged and cannot be pushed back. A rust role, a puncture, however small, and a defective lid are all warnings that must be heeded. All suspicious looking tins should be destroyed, and even if a tin looks sound the contents should not be eaten if they' have an unusual smell or colour. From the nutrition point of view, tinned foods compare very favourably with fresh-cooked food, as articles for canning are selected with care and canned before they have had time to lose any of their nutritive value. And the processing is done with the greatest care; Risk of chemical contamination from the tin itself is practically non-existent, and canned food is less likely to bacteriological infection than fresh food. It pays, however, to examine every tin of food carefully before using it.