Choosing Safety Over Convenience: The Glass-Packaged Chickpea Debate
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In today's market, chickpeas come in various formats - canned, glass, or Tetra Pak. Despite the convenience, it's essential to be mindful of the options you choose, as a recent report by Stiftung Warentest indicates.
Chickpeas are nutritional powerhouses, loaded with proteins, vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, E, minerals like magnesium, iron, and zinc. They're a fantastic pantry staple, especially since pre-cooked options allow you to whip up popular dishes like hummus without the time-consuming soaking typically needed. But here's the catch - canned chickpeas may not be your best pick.
Why, you ask? The Austrian Association for Consumer Information (VKI) tested various pre-cooked chickpeas, focusing on contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides like glyphosate, nickel, and bisphenol A. And the results were telling, as reported by Stiftung Warentest.
BPA and Chickpeas: A Risky Combination
Out of the 25 products tested, only 6 glass-packaged ones received a recommendation. Unfortunately, all 18 canned products were found to contain bisphenol A (BPA). This chemical can migrate from the epoxy resins of can linings into food, posing a substantial health risk.
BPA is well-known for its hormonal effects on humans and the environment. It has been linked to various health issues such as impaired reproductive ability, increased breast cancer risk, obesity, and behavioral issues in children.
Three products also had significant concentrations of nickel, which plants absorb from the soil. In food, excessive nickel can exacerbate symptoms in people with existing contact allergies.
Thankfully, those selling chickpeas in glass jars received little criticism. Of the test's six glass-packaged recommendations, four are readily available in Germany:
- dm Bio Chickpeas, Content: 350g, Drain weight: 220g
- Dennree Chickpeas, Content: 350g, Drain weight: 250g
- Alnatura Chickpeas, Content: 330g, Drain weight: 220g
- Marschland Demeter Bio Chickpeas, Content: 330g, Drain weight: 220g
Prices range from around 40 to 95 cents per 100g of drain weight. When it comes to protecting your health, the extra cost may just be worth it.
Sources: ntv.de, awi
- Health
- Food
- Contaminants
- Stiftung Warentest
- When choosing between various chickpea formats, be mindful as a recent Stiftung Warentest report reveals potentially harmful contaminants in canned versions.
- Glass-packaged chickpeas were the safest option, with only six products receiving recommendations from Stiftung Warentest, as they did not contain bisphenol A (BPA) and had lower nickel levels.
- Canned chickpeas were found to contain bisphenol A, a chemical that can migrate from can linings into food, leading to significant health risks like impaired reproductive ability, increased breast cancer risk, obesity, and behavioral issues in children.
- Four glass-packaged chickpea products were readily available in Germany and ranged in price from around 40 to 95 cents per 100g of drain weight: dm Bio Chickpeas, Dennree Chickpeas, Alnatura Chickpeas, and Marschland Demeter Bio Chickpeas.
- Employing a community policy that promotes health and wellness, one might choose glass-packaged chickpeas over canned options for a safer, more sustainable lifestyle, allowing for easier preparation of health-conscious diet options such as hummus and other food-and-drink recipes.
