What To Look Out For When Buying Canned Food On Your Next Grocery Run

In the food industry, the term “processed” merely describes any food that has been changed from its natural form — for example cooking fish prior to canning. The canning process heats the items and seals them under pressure. That’s really all you need to do to store food safely in tins. Besides, food manufacturers are required by law in Singapore to list all the ingredients used in their products on the label. If you’re unsure of what you’re getting in the can, just read the label, which will list ingredients in descending order by weight. Look out for a short and simple ingredient list.

Contrary to popular belief, canned foods can be just as nutritious as fresh foods. In fact, health organisations such as Singapore’s Health Hub (www.healthhub.sg) advocate canned foods labelled with the Healthier Choice Symbol (HCS) as nutritious alternatives to fresh produce. If you’re worried about high sodium content, opt for low- and no-sodium canned foods by looking for Healthier Choice Symbol (HCS) products.

Canned food has been around since the 1800s. The first-ever canned products were hermetically sealed glass bottles of soups, vegetables and dairy products. These days, the process has been refined and is recognised by the USDA and other health organisations as a safe and natural way to store food for long periods of time. And when we say long, we do mean long. Most canned food last a good two years, but interestingly, sealed cans of food that have been found on 100-year-old shipwrecks were proven still safe to eat! How? The canning process places food in airtight, vacuum-sealed containers, which are then heated. The heat kills the microorganisms sealed within the jars and the vacuum stops bacteria growth, thus preserving the food. Just make sure you store any unused portions of an opened can in the refrigerator and consume within a few days.

Fun fact: both canned and fresh fish contain comparable amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, an essential fat that cannot be produced by the human body, which helps to maintain good blood cholesterol, heart and brain health. However, fresh fatty fish like sardines and tuna are not commonly available in supermarkets, which is why canned sardines are the unsung heroes in the world of wallet-friendly superfoods. In fact, the amount of omega-3 found in one can of Ayam brand sardines in tomato sauce (155g) is comparable to ten fish oil capsules. We don’t know about you, but we’d rather eat something yummy than pop pills.

You can create really tasty meals from canned stuff. In some countries, canned food is actually considered gourmet. Just look at the exquisite canned seafood in Spain. Closer to Singapore, Ayam Brand has introduced the new Saba fish, the Japanese term for Pacific mackerel, to their line of canned fish. There’s Saba chilli, Saba mayonnaise and Saba Flakes in Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Made with the same beloved recipe from their tuna line, these offerings contain 50 per cent more omega-3 than tuna and are great on sandwiches, sushi rice rolls, in pastas, salads — even cold noodles. Who says healthy food has to be boring? Furthermore, saba, known for its rich taste and affordability, contains EPA and DHA, which are vital to cell development and healthy ageing. An 80-year-old man in Japan who claimed that he hadn't caught a cold in over 40 years attributed his good health to the can of saba he eats for lunch every single day. Now, how about that?

Ayam Brand is giving away 2,000 sets of full-sized cans of Saba Flakes. Click here for details.