Many times we do without canned liquid, when it is not always harmful to health. There are people who drink the liquid from the asparagus cans, while others pour the oil from the tuna cans into salads entirely, and others wash the legumes when removing them from the can, prior to cooking. In these cases, are we doing the right thing?
In order to find out, we asked an expert in the field, the president of the Official College of Dietitians-Nutritionists of Cantabria (CODUNICAN), Pablo Martínez, who recalls that this liquid is usually made up of syrups, oils, salt water, syrup or even lemon. , depending on the preserve.
Insists that all products that go on the market are subject to a series of controls that guarantee safety for consumption (including the preservative liquid); however, it warns that before consuming these preservatives, it should be evaluated individually if there are pathological conditions that may prevent it.
"As an example, a patient with renal dysfunction should control the intake of sodium, potassium, or phosphorus, and in cases such as canned tuna, vegetables, or legumes, among others, the liquid concentrates these minerals," he clarifies. .
The main function of these liquids is to extend the useful life of the food, and in many cases it also preserves the organoleptic properties of the product. "During the microorganism control process, it is used as a medium for heat transmission and vacuum creation," adds this expert.
The also member of the General Council of Official Colleges of Dietitians-Nutritionists, asked if these liquids provide us with anything nutritionally, points out that it would be necessary to detail and evaluate each one individually.
For example, he mentions that the asparagus liquid, which many people drink, is completely harmless, and is made up mainly of water and salt, and under normal conditions it should not cause any problems.
"As previously stated, in pathological conditions it would be necessary to assess whether this extra intake of water and salt could be harmful. In healthy people, although the liquid may contain some vitamins, it would be a better option to obtain them from other sources, such as fruits, and so avoid excess salt.
In the case of tuna cans, he maintains that they usually stand out for presenting a liquid with a high salt content, which in many cases would be better to discard. However, he does state that in the case of canned vegetables, the liquid contains vitamins and minerals that could be interesting.
Asked about the custom of many people to wash canned legumes before cooking them, Pablo Ortiz stresses that the liquid is totally harmless in this case, and washing is also optional.
"Both canned tuna and canned legumes use salt to increase the shelf life of the product. Along with sugar, it is one of the most used ingredients for such preservation. Thus, some products such as legumes have a high sodium chloride content , which in case of habitual consumption could be convenient to discard, due to the excess salt included as a preservative", insists this specialist in Nutrition.
And can we take advantage of the oil from the tuna can? This expert indicates that the main source of omega-3 is in tuna: "If we want to increase the intake of this fatty acid, for example, in a salad it would be more efficient to add some ground flax seeds or some walnuts, and do without oil preservative. On the other hand, if you want to use the oil as a dressing it would be perfect, although it would not significantly enrich it in omega-3, compared to the previous example."
With this, he adds that reviewing the labeling in all cases is essential, and ensures that you can always dispense with liquids with a high sodium or sugar content, and use those covering liquids that contain vitamins and minerals, such as those from vegetables. .
In this sense, we asked the specialist if it is good to keep cans in the fridge and what is the best way to preserve them once opened. The president of CODUNICAN points out that they can be stored in the fridge, and as in other products, "it is essential to keep it at a low temperature".
"In this case, the back of the fridge can guarantee a more stable temperature. The best way to preserve these products would be to transfer them to another container, and thus slow down the oxidation processes, accelerated by the original aluminum containers," concludes.
