It is a common practice among beekeepers to use milk cans and other aluminum containers for transporting honey. Such containers are easy to purchase on the secondary market, they are capacious and convenient to use. But is it possible to store honey in an aluminum jar, how safe is it for our health?
The content of the article
- 1 GOST
- 2 Reference literature
- 3 How to prepare a flask or can
- 3.1 Recipe for cleansing cans
- 4 What scientists say
- 5 In conclusion
GOST
If we analyze the content of several editions of GOST, we will find that aluminum is not prohibited (GOST 19792-2001, GOST R 54644-2011, A GOST R 52451-2005).
Specifications allow packing in flasks made of aluminum, as well as stainless, sheet, pickled steel.
A similar permission is given by the Rules of Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise. When delivering a honey product to the markets, you can use containers made of aluminum alloys (12 July 18.07.1995, 13 N 7-2-365 / 2.2, clause XNUMX).
Reference literature
The same is stated by many beekeeping reference books. For example, in the book “Effective Beekeeping” by E. Tarasov, one of the most convenient and hygienic types of containers is named:
- milk cans and flasks made of aluminum and aluminum alloys;
- glasses and tubes made of aluminum foil and coated with food varnish.
This is not the only container recommended for use, but according to the book, it is absolutely safe for humans. Other suitable materials are glass, ceramics, clay, wood (excluding conifers).
How to prepare a flask or can
A used flask must be thoroughly washed. This is the only way to avoid fermentation and acidification of the honey product.
But here it must be borne in mind that aluminum is a reactive metal… In air, it almost instantly becomes covered with an oxide film. As a result, chemical interaction with oxygen stops.
Therefore, experienced beekeepers do not use abrasive substances such as sand, coarse salt, as well as sandpaper, iron kitchen sinks for washing.
There is little point in such a precaution. The formation of an oxide film occurs quickly, even if the container is not exposed to the sun. After all, everything depends on the contact of the metal with oxygen. The washed flask is dried in the open sun exclusively for additional disinfection.
It is best to use baking soda gruel for washing.… A pack of soda is moistened with water, a sponge is dipped and the container is thoroughly cleaned from contamination. If required, the procedure is repeated several times.
You can also use mustard powder, laundry soap or “Lightning”, “Shine” pastes.
Recipe for cleansing cans
There is a method that is less physically difficult. It is taken:
- four to five buckets of water;
- 400 grams of baking soda
- 300 grams of silicate stationery glue used for working with paper;
- 400 grams of soda ash.
A 40-liter can is put on a fire, poured with water, heated, the components of the cleaning agent listed above are stirred, and the water is boiled for half an hour.
After cooling, the solution is discarded. The container is thoroughly rinsed with clean water. Wash with a sponge with laundry soap, wash again. Dry in the sun.
Important! Work is carried out with gloves, since the solution irritates the skin when it comes into contact with the hands.
What scientists say
Moscow Institute of Hygiene in the 80s of the last century, he declared the health risks of food aluminum.
This metal is able to accumulate in the tissues of the body, causing various diseases. In particular, he:
- violates mineral metabolism;
- affects the growth and reproduction of cells, which provokes the appearance of tumors;
- inhibits the synthesis of hemoglobin.
The negative effect of aluminum salts is especially noticeable in the elderly and children. These are memory problems, nervous irritability, anemia, headaches, kidney and liver diseases.
In conclusion
One can only guess why GOST and veterinary and sanitary rules classify aluminum flasks and cans as containers suitable for honey, if theoretically this metal can react with the contents of the container.
Honey contains organic acids that can damage the oxide film (it will not recover without direct access to oxygen!).
With prolonged contact with aluminum, the taste of the bee product deteriorates noticeably, which can be confirmed by any beekeeper practicing the use of flasks. It is not known how much the chemical composition of honey changes for the worse during this oxidation!
Much more confidence is caused by inert materials that have confirmed their environmental friendliness and safety – glass, ceramics, enameled metals.
Read on the topic: How much and in what conditions is honey stored
It is only up to you to decide whether to choose an aluminum container for long-term storage of a honey product. For our part, we tried to provide all the arguments for and against in order to facilitate this choice. Our opinion is that it is better not to keep honey in it for more than two or three days.
