Soda or beer can pot toxicity ?

Most have a plastic liner in them … don't boil them dry and you should never ruin the liner.

Not a answer to your question, but I just got the calera keg and it seems to be a great set up. I am going to test it out this weekend.

Almost all food and beverage can liners contain Bisphenol A (BPA). So is it safe to boil water in them? I don't think anyone can say for sure. Do a Google on Bisphenol A and decide for yourself. Personally, I've switched from a beer can to the BPL Trapper Mug.

First, following up on the suggestion to see what google has to say on the subject…I was able to find this fairly detailed article chock full of footnotes at:

http://www.bisphenol-a.org/human/epoxycan.html

To my untrained read of the conclusions….it appears that there is not a whole lot to worry about.

Second, on the heat subject, it appears that the FDA specs for evaluating this kind of stuff anticipates that the public will want to boil in these containers. Consequently the spec calls out evaluations to hold the test "food" at temp for two hours….at a variety of different temps including boiling and 250 degrees. Here is the spec I found:

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/opa3pmnc.html

Third, I suspect these coatings are primarily targeted to minimize food/beverage contamination over time periods measured in years and shipping conditions that take it through various pressures, temperatures and loadings. Mostly folks will be just boiling water. But even if they were cooking in the cans, do you really think that the minimal contact food would have with a scratch exposing the underlying aluminum, for the short amount of time it takes to warm it up, will have any kind of effect? I'm not an expert here, but I really doubt it.

Fourth, aside from the various non-stick stuff…..are normal aluminum pots coated? If so or if not, how is that any different than the beer cans?

Ultimately….I'm no expert on any of this….so please feel free to blow holes in my observations. In the end, these cans go through more FDA scrutiny than I put to cleaning my personal pot after cooking in it…..an activity I'm going to worry much more about than the lining on the can.

My $.02….again….please let me know if I'm fundamentally missing something!

Rand :-)

Thanks for all the research Rand. I tend to agree with those findings… but then I figure… the Trapper Mug (altho' smaller) is about the same weight as a beer can… so… better "safe" than sorry. And then I think about the fact that the MEC pulled all their Nalgene bottles. But I agree that there's probably nothing to be concerned about.

Anyway… thanks again for the links.

The jury is still out on the BPA question. I doubt the effect is significant myself or the billions of cans and other containers would have created a torrent of cases by now – and they haven't.

But the issue of aluminium – forget it. That was resolved some years ago. The whole scare was an urban myth based on one poor bit of not-very–competent research, never duplicated, and eventually debunked.

Aluminium cans are coated to prevent food acids from etching the aluminium. The by-products may add a metallic taste, or in extreme cases (eg tomatoes) etch right through the can.

Cheers

I think Rand's information is pretty clear.

There is no risk at normal temperature and the FDA testing make it ok to boil water for an hour.

I agree that it would be good idea not to heat it dry.

I am waiting for Dane feeds back and I might try one of these;

Regards,
Ivan