5 major reasons why you should not cook with tomato paste

Due to the increased price of tomatoes, Nigerians have been forced to use tomato paste more as we basically cannot prepare many meals without cooking our much loved tomato stew. Basically, Nigerians enjoy eating meals that would have the red stew made from tomatoes in it.

This being stated, you can understand the plight of Nigerians now that tomatoes are scarce and expensive.  Although, this is a product used in almost every home, some Nigerians do not eat it on a regular basis. But now in the face of want, our choices are limited and people are starting to use this product more and more. It is only a few Nigerians that can afford to cook now and use tomatoes as they please.

There are some health hazards attached to the use of tomato paste. This is mainly as a result of the packaging. Nigerians are used to calling tomato paste ‘Tin tomato’ as a result of the containers in which they are sold. Only a few brands sell theirs in sachet.

Using tomato paste is more or less the same as buying fresh tomatoes and making them into pastes yourself. However, the moment they are packaged in tins and cans, their composition changes. This is because of the presence of Bisphenol-A, a harmful chemical used to coat the linings of cans and most plastic products. This chemical can leak into foods and become a potential threat to your health.

Find below some of the dangers involved in cooking with tomato paste which is packed in cans or tins that are coated with Bisphenol-A:

1. Hormonal disruption

Bisphenol-A can cause hormonal disruption in humans if it is leaked into the tomato paste that will be used in cooking. We are usually at risk because of the duration in which the tomato paste gets stored in those tins or cans that are coated with this harmful chemical.

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2. Risk of miscarriage

Without boring you with the chemical composition of this harmful chemical, the disintegration of Bisphenol-A in the body which is leaked as a result of tomato paste packaged in cans that are lined with it can put you at risk when it comes to miscarriage.

Tomato pastes are being singled out of all products that could be packed into cans and containers because tomatoes are highly acidic. They can absorb more of the Bisphenol-A chemical from the tin coating into the food.

3. Increased risk of cancer

Just like any other processed food that has been packed for too long, there is every tendency that some of the regular consumers would end up with cancer. The BPA chemical puts one at risk of cancer and since tomatoes are high offenders of the chemicals considering their high level of acidity, consuming this product is not so healthy.

4. Malfunction of organs in children

Although the economic situation has forced many homes in the country to improvise and make more use of tomato paste, it may not seem like a healthy choice for the children especially if the tomato pastes are in cans and tins. This puts them at risk of consuming the Bisphenol-A (BPA) chemical which could cause some of their organs to malfunction.

Also, continuous consumption of this chemical which could have been absorbed into the tomato paste used for cooking could increase the risk of mental disabilities in babies. This means it is not a healthy choice for expecting mothers.

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5. Sperm defects

Bisphenol-A chemical has the ability to disrupt the development of sperm in men. This means that continuous intake of this chemical through the use of tin tomato would lead to a decline in male fertility. BPA mimics the effects of estrogen and end up damaging the stem cells.

That being said, we understand that tomato paste is an essential commodity at this point and not everyone would be able to avoid cooking with it.

However, one could be careful and minimize the use of canned tomato paste. Fresh tomatoes or organic tomato pastes in jars could be used instead. If you are a lover of tomato paste, you can try learning how to make it yourself. This way you can monitor what you eat and reduce your chances of being sick.

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