# BPA and canning lid options



## Merit (Jul 15, 2009)

A great write-up on canning jar options. Uncovered while researching BPA-free canning lids, and found at http://whatdidshedotoday.typepad.co...pa-free-canning-jar-lids-january-15-2009.html

It's so tiring. This world is so full of stuff that is so counter to the way I want to live, that sometimes I find it exhausting to keep up with the nonsense. I just found out that canning jar lids contain BPA... yes all of the companies, Kerr, Ball, and other lesser knowns.

How aggravating. Most people are revisiting the art of putting food by, at least in part, to avoid chemicals in their foods. While the lid may not actually touch the food, it is probably less of an issue that buying canned goods that are surrounded by the BPA lining, it's still just so frustrating that even there you can't escape this hormone disrupting chemical.

I decided these companies need to know what their customers want. Surely they are, during this time of renewed desire to hearken back to a more self sufficient, sustainable way of life, reaping an improved profit. People are buying canning jars, and new lids for what is their first foray into the craft. These companies have to know that their customers value a lower chemical effected life. But maybe they don't, maybe they need to know. So I started looking for information to start writing letters to voice my opinion. Well it turns out ALL the name (Kerr, Ball, Mason) brands are actually owned by one conglomerate, Jarden Home Brands. 

Jarden Home Brands

Consumer Affairs
14611 West Commerce Road
P.O. Box 529
Daleville, IN 47334 
1-800-240-3340

I tried calling them and it's a series of buttons that lead to a busy signal, where you can't leave a message, but are routed back to the operator, which is a busy signal, and this cycle of busy back to a menu that brings you to a busy signal happens 4 times then it hangs up on you. I contacted their publicity company who was going to have a customer service rep call me. I'll let you know about that when it happens. UPDATE: One month later and a couple messages, and still no reply...hmmm.

I had the Leifheit jars listed as BPA free, after a phone conversation from Leifheit USA. A blog reader's comment prompted me to look into the matter again, and in fact the rep I talked to had poor information. He apologized profusely and told me he had no intention of giving me misinformation, but he had been told they were BPA free. Evidently, in the past 2 weeks the Headquarters has contacted him to let him know that there are "negligable traces of BPA in the lining". He said that with that news, he was also told that the company is working on a BPA free product that is not quite ready for market at this time. He will contact me when they are. In the mean time Leifheit lids are not BPA Free.

The Leifheit jars are also very pretty. There are to options for their lids, some jars can use a 1 part lid, and other jars use a two part metal lid with a metal ring, like the typical US brand canning jars. I spoke with a representative at Leifhiet USA, and was told the lids are, in fact BPA free. They are made in Germany. I am not sure if they fit on standard US canning jars. I have seen sites that state that they do, but the Leifheit company was not sure. They offered to send me a sample so I can try them to see if they will seal on a US canning jar, so I will mention that in a separate post, as well as updating this post when I find out. They sent a whole dozen lids, so cool! I used them and they worked great on the large mouth jars. 




What are the current alternatives? 

Weck: If you are new to canning and have to buy jars anyway, the Weck is a very popular option in the canning world. They are pricey, but they are beautiful. If I did my conversion correctly the 1L jars are pretty close in size to the Quart, and the 1/2L would work for a Pint. These are all glass with a glass cover sealed with a rubber ring. They have BPA Free plastic covers to put on for storing after opening. They are made in Germany. You can order them via phone or by mailing an order form into the company. You can not order directly online from the Weck site, though several other companies, online, do offer many of the jar options. This option is very popular in the blogging world, due to how pretty and unique they are. 


Tattler Reusable Canning Jar Lids: This is a very interesting option. The pros to these lids are amazing. Made in the USA! Reusable, they can be used for years, instead of having to be replaced after each use, like the Jarden brands. BPA Free! One hitch, they are plastic. Tattler has been around since the 1970's, they have a longstanding product, that has proven itself over decades, and because they are reusable, they don't have the same level of ecological concern that most plastic items do. They are BPA free, so they certainly look like a viable option. The fact they work with standard US canning jars, helps too, as it keeps from having to buy all new glass jars, just to avoid the BPA containing lids. Tattler also seems to be a small company, and being a small business owner, I do like the idea of helping out another.


Bormioli Rocco: 

Another European option, this time from Italy. They have two style options for lids, one is the metal screw lid, the other is the glass lid that is secured to the jar on a metal hinge and is sealed with a rubber gasket. 



Then there is the Quattro Stagioni style which has a metal lid that is one piece, instead of the typical 2 piece. I ordered some of their jars and canned some jam. They lids worked great on their jars, and on standard US jars, with a very serious seal, resulting in a very loud pop when the jar was opened. That seemed like a good sign.

Note: After finding out the Leifheit company made a mistake with communication I recontacted Bormioli and was again assured their jars are BPA free, as are all their food storage items. 


Germany, Italy, and now France...I find it interesting all these European countries use a similar style jar, the glass jar, and glass lid with the rubber ring. 

Le Parfait Glass Jars: The French version, is priced similarly to the others.





All that brings me to the most potentially controversial option. If you have access to the old bail style jars, you could buy fresh rings for them, and use those. The USDA does not endorse this method, they only endorse using the Kerr/Ball/Mason jars with the Jarden Company lids. However, another blogger pointed out that these old fashioned jars work on the same principle as the widely popular Weck jars (and the other Italian and French options I mentioned) that are used extensively in Europe. The same blogger has a post about her canning experiences with the Vintage Jars. You can even still buy the Jar Rubbers online.




All that canning jar research did cause me to find something I just must have...

Check out this canner, it's HUGE! What a great thing for canning with friends. It holds 15 quarts, or 27 pints, which is more than twice what a standard water bath canner holds, and it's made by the Amish, how cool is that!? That would make quick work of my tomatoes and peaches...oh and all that apple sauce. 



The other option, and one that helps the food retain more nutrients, is dehydration. I purchased a dehydrator from Excalibur and have loved using it. I find it less time consuming and easier to use than canning, in many instances. Several foods don't even need to be blanched, just dice and dry. It's a great option. I have found that the foods rehydrate quite well, and most often don't have a loss in flavor or texture. The most negative comment I would have is that the zucchini I re-hydrated did have a slightly chewy texture, but very slight and not unpleasant. I fully intend to can my tomatoes and apple sauce this year, but will be experimenting with drying more foods for winter enjoyment.


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## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

Well that's no good.  Just curious, how did the blogger discover that the jar lids have BPA in them? On the post, it just says, 

"I just found out that canning jar lids contain BPA... yes all of the companies, Kerr, Ball, and other lesser knowns."

Where did she find it out from?


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

Have you ever purchased lids in bulk? I get mine in a long heavy kraft paper tube and they have no brand nameon the outside, no "paint" on the food side - just the same unadulterated metal, food side and outside.

I am slowly changing over to Tatlers, love them, but there is a learning curve to opening the jar.


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## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

What even is bpa?


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## rickfrosty (Jun 19, 2008)

mary said:


> What even is bpa?


Was going to suggest the Tattler reusable lids, glad I kept reading. 
What is BPA ? Well don't recall chemical names, but certainly do recall the less than desirable effects on your menfolk - boobs & prostate cancer from hormone disturbance !!
The evil gift from our ignorant/corrupted (?) FDA is in the plastic film you will see lining a lot of your grocery store cans.
I have been saving metal cans to start plants in up here where we have a short (but potent w/long days) growing season - definitely worried about even this use of lined cans.


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## rickfrosty (Jun 19, 2008)

Oh, & by the way, sure enough the Chinese folks make jars too ! Bought a doz. @ Wallie's yesterday for $6 (Mainstays brand), and they have the film on inside of lids that looks to be the kind w/good old BPA added so the Amer. Medical Assoc. can get a few $ out of us for their crappy cancer treatments.
I imagine this will not be a concern if we keep food off this surface, but I think that on this rainy day I will finally get around to ordering a load of Tattler reusable lids.
At this point of reduced stockpile of falling US wampum that these far better lids are more important than any more ammunition wampum.


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## rickfrosty (Jun 19, 2008)

Marilyn said:


> Have you ever purchased lids in bulk? I get mine in a long heavy kraft paper tube and they have no brand nameon the outside, no "paint" on the food side - just the same unadulterated metal, food side and outside.
> 
> *I am slowly changing over to Tatlers, love them, but there is a learning curve to opening the jar.*



Seems I read something about this ? Tattlers are hard to open, or ???


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

I just grip the lid and hook my fingernails on the edge of the lid and pull. The pop right off.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Marilyn said:


> Have you ever purchased lids in bulk? I get mine in a long heavy kraft paper tube and they have no brand nameon the outside, no "paint" on the food side - just the same unadulterated metal, food side and outside.


I think you may be mistaken on that. Seems I read somewhere that the inside surface has tung oil baked on. I THINK I read that somewhere.


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## my3boys (Jan 18, 2011)

Marilyn said:


> Have you ever purchased lids in bulk? I get mine in a long heavy kraft paper tube and they have no brand nameon the outside, no "paint" on the food side - just the same unadulterated metal, food side and outside.
> 
> I am slowly changing over to Tatlers, love them, but there is a learning curve to opening the jar.


What does the USDA say about the Tatlers? I can't find any info on them. I only just saw them advertised on one of the canning suppliers.


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## Merit (Jul 15, 2009)

Not just bad for men. Women & children too. BPA is found to be an endocrine system disrupter (mimics hormones in our bodies, with bad consequences) Banned in many places, it seems to be no longer 'controversial' but instead 'understood and undeniable'.

Unfortunately BPA is also used in cashier receipts and many other places, and appears to leach more at higher (for example, canning!) temperatures.

Tatler is an interesting option, however it's still a plastic and we're still heating the plastic to high temperatures. The concern is, they are BPA-free, but what other plasticisers will be leached into the foods at these high temps?

I also found it very interesting that we--the USA--steered away from glass lids with rubber gaskets (to metal & BPA) whereas Europe seemingly stuck with the tried-and-true.

The company websites had addressed that their lids contain BPA to protect the metal.

I'm wondering if the Quattro Stagioni metal lids on american jars would be the best option? I like the Tatler concept, but hesitate on what would leach out from boiling the plastic. 

Downside of Quattro might be the metal. There was, after all, a reason why people put BPA in there to protect the metals.

Your thoughts?


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## Merit (Jul 15, 2009)

Oh geez, I just wikipedia'd BPA! Negative ramifications: neurological, thyroid function, breast cancer, prostate, reproductive system, DNA, heart disease, obesity, etc. Nasties! I'm so disenheartened about the lids.


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## wagvan (Jan 29, 2011)

So do we know where we can get new jar rubbers for antique lids? I haven't been able to find them. Besides the old bail jars, I have glass lids that seem to be a similar concept to the Tattlers. ie meant to work with a metal ring like a metal lid.

Here's a link to a thread where I posted pics: http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=407900

and here is one of the lids I am talking about: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8X2MNLHcSCxcuVUmwgDJXxA3eZs4q2O6WMsLKgFBg0E?feat=directlink

I'm not sure how the glass lids like this would differ from the Tattlers. Hmmm. I wonder if the Tattler rubbers would work.


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## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

are the rubbers from the bail and wire jars reusable?
I can get them at the Amish store for 2 bucks a dozen


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

I would absolutely LOVE if Tattler would make their lids with GLASS or CERAMIC instead of plastic. The design would be exactly the same. I think all of us would be willing to pay even more extra for reusable glass lids that don't have any weird coatings or chemicals in them.

I am switching over to Weck jars whenever I need more or replacements, as they are the most easily available glass lid and gasket jars. In the meantime, I switched to the Tattler lids instead of ANY of the metal lids for my existing Ball jars. The Quattro metal lids are BPA-free (for now) but are still supposed to be one-time use, and they don't thread quite right on my existing Ball jars  The rubber gaskets for the baled jars are reusable, and can last a long time with proper care... I've found replacements at Lehman's.


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## Merit (Jul 15, 2009)

I continued researching last night and someone had contacted the Tattler company and uncovered the chemical composition of their lids. Apparently they'd swapped one endocterine system disrupter (BPA) with another. Might want to research Tattler's chemicals. Disenheartening.


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

Merit said:


> I continued researching last night and someone had contacted the Tattler company and uncovered the chemical composition of their lids. Apparently they'd swapped one endocterine system disrupter (BPA) with another. Might want to research Tattler's chemicals. Disenheartening.


This makes me crazy. I go to so much work and trouble to raise my food organically, and now there are no clean lids??? When I first started canning 35 years ago, Ball lids were metal, rubber, and enamel. I found one of the old blue and white boxes I winter the bands in, and a dozen of them was thirty-nine cents. For years I thought I was getting exactly that-- metal, rubber, and enamel. Now the BPA thing.

Thought I'd switch to Tattlers and eat the cost. Now there's no way.

I got some unmarked bulk lids from the Mennonite grocery. The metal on the inside appears to be the same as what's on the outside. I don't know if there's a coating or not; but I was in a crunch and needed lids badly. I don't know where they were made.

It's just so sad. More and more choice is being taken away. What do we have to do to get clean food anymore?


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

And we have to watch out for the old enamels because they often had heavy metals in them, which was why so many were removed from the market 

Maybe if we all begged/petitioned Tattler (or some other company) to make the lids out of plain glass or porcelain again??? I like the screw bands since they put more even pressure on the lids than the clamps do in many cases, so you get a better seal percentage; but I don't like the _disposable_ metal lids and all their weird coatings at all and really hate the idea of plastic residues leaching into my food.


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## Merit (Jul 15, 2009)

It's worse. So much worse. Now I learn there are websites out there to help you uncover which TOOTHPASTE and TOOTHBRUSHES are BPA-free. 

Can I tell you how much I HATE this stuff? And not just BPA, but all the known nasties out there? 

Like Horseyrider, I just wanted to grow and preserve clean, safe food for us. And brush our teeth. And NOT have BPA in sealants, by the way, which are commonly used in children's mouths.


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## Helena (May 10, 2002)

About a year ago I called our cooperative extension to tell them about this...never, ever heard back from them. they were shocked when I told them about the danger of this... I also get tiered of having to investigate everything we do or eat anymore.


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

Merit said:


> Weck: If you are new to canning and have to buy jars anyway, the Weck is a very popular option in the canning world. They are pricey, but they are beautiful. If I did my conversion correctly the 1L jars are pretty close in size to the Quart, and the 1/2L would work for a Pint. These are all glass with a glass cover sealed with a rubber ring. They have BPA Free plastic covers to put on for storing after opening. They are made in Germany. You can order them via phone or by mailing an order form into the company. You can not order directly online from the Weck site, though several other companies, online, do offer many of the jar options. This option is very popular in the blogging world, due to how pretty and unique they are.


You can order them online from their site. I have ordered from them a few times. Just put the items in your cart and pay online. 

https://secure.concentric.com/weckjars.com/productsDetail.php?category=7


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## margoC (Jul 26, 2007)

Doesn't the food have to be in contact with the bpa containing part of the vessel?


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Weck jars - do know that those are water bath only. You can't pressure can with them. They do not pressure can in Europe, so they do not make products that are able to do that. That's why when we lived in Europe I left all my canning stuff in the US. No way I was going to break something while there and have no way of replacing it....leaving me with a huge quantity of "dead weight" in a house that had NO storage to start with.


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## arrocks (Oct 26, 2011)

> Doesn't the food have to be in contact with the bpa containing part of the vessel?


That is my understanding too. No contact = no contamination.


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

Ohio dreamer said:


> Weck jars - do know that those are water bath only. You can't pressure can with them. They do not pressure can in Europe, so they do not make products that are able to do that. That's why when we lived in Europe I left all my canning stuff in the US. No way I was going to break something while there and have no way of replacing it....leaving me with a huge quantity of "dead weight" in a house that had NO storage to start with.


According to Weck you just use 3 clamps instead of 2. I've got their canning guide that gives directions on using them for pressure canning.


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## margoC (Jul 26, 2007)

I've seen some youtube pressure canning series that featured a british couple. It was recorded on a large farm and they made what sounded like delicous soups and stews. They pressure canned them. 


You would only need to bring the canner, rings and lids I would think. A canner shouldn't break, even the gaskets last a long time. I'm assuming you could get jars of course.


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## casusbelli (Jan 6, 2009)

So, Merit:
I'm missing something.
Why aren't the Leifheit lids an option? Did you mean they worked on Kerr/Ball wide-mouth jars???


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