# Lead in Canned Foods ?!?! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 26, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-in-canned-foods/171361 "2003-04-26T18:29:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Helix1047](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@Helix1047](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helix1047)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-in-canned-foods/171361/1 "2003-04-26T18:29:24Z")
I reacently read the Book titled “Rubbish!” about Arizona State University’s Garbage Archeology project… Flipping thru the chapter on Hazdarous Chemicals, I readed that modern sources of lead contamination occurs in canned foods, where to this day, some companies actually use LEAD to solder the cans!! :eek: I was shocked, being a self proclaimed connisuer of all goods tinned and canned, Ive herard it all about canning preservatives, but LEAD ??! Can any body give me the scoop on this?How dangrous is this, and what companies still use lead ?! ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-in-canned-foods/171361/2 "2003-04-26T18:40:07Z")
U.S. manufacturers have reported to the FDA that they stopped using lead-soldered food cans in late 1991. In1993 the FDA banned imported cans containing food from containing lead. ---
**Author:** ![Helix1047](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@Helix1047](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helix1047)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-in-canned-foods/171361/3 "2003-04-26T18:44:37Z")
Ok… Good… that makes me feel alot better… Thank you ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-in-canned-foods/171361/4 "2003-04-26T18:47:24Z")
Lead soldered food cans were blamed for the mental deterioration of Lord Franklin’s crew in their failed attempt to locate the Northwest Passage. I believe it was a concern for Napoleon’s army as well. Almost all modern food cans are pre-lined with plasticizers that prevent interaction between the contents and sealing seam. Shall we now discuss how these same plasticizers are being traced to pseudo-estrogen effects on certain male populations? There is suspicion that cling wrap and other flexible plastics may be contributing to a global decline in sperm count and all sorts of odd mutations. ---
**Author:** ![Helix1047](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@Helix1047](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helix1047)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-in-canned-foods/171361/5 "2003-04-26T18:56:06Z")
“Almost all modern food cans are pre-lined with plasticizers that prevent interaction between the contents and sealing seam. Shall we now discuss how these same plasticizers are being traced to pseudo-estrogen effects on certain male populations? There is suspicion that cling wrap and other flexible plastics may be contributing to a global decline in sperm count and all sorts of odd mutations.” Yeah Id definitely wanna know about this… One more thing,… I dunno about the plasticizers… but I open alot of cans where it’s just bare metal inside … are those dangrous? ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-in-canned-foods/171361/6 "2003-04-26T19:02:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Helix1047 \* > … Yeah Id [sic] definitely wanna know about this… Then frickin’ google on; “plasticizers sperm count” Took all of **.12 seconds** of search time to find [this](http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Hormone-Mimics-In-Food.htm) link. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-in-canned-foods/171361/7 "2003-04-26T19:07:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Helix1047 \* > … One more thing,… I dunno about the plasticizers… but I open alot of cans where it’s just bare metal inside … are those dangrous? **Helix** , please read the preceding posts. All cans in the USA no longed have any lead in their seams. I’m sure 99.9999999% of them are either folded or welded and _not_ soldered. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-in-canned-foods/171361/8 "2003-04-26T19:09:14Z")
no LONGER … [sigh] ---
**Author:** ![Helix1047](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@Helix1047](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helix1047)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-in-canned-foods/171361/9 "2003-04-26T19:16:21Z")
Thanks… ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-in-canned-foods/171361/10 "2003-04-28T05:13:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Helix1047 \* > **…I open alot of cans where it’s just bare metal inside** I think you’ll find the fact is that you open a lot of cans that APPEAR to have just bare metal inside. I don’t believe that any foodstuffs can be obtained in unlined cans. The lining (perhaps coating is more accurate) is not obvious.