The Problem With Storing An Open Can Of Food In The Fridge

We all have our preferred storage methods. No kitchen is complete without some rolls of plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and a (sometimes chaotic) drawer of food storage containers is a given. But if we're being real, many of us are guilty of the haphazard approach of simply tossing an open can of food in the fridge without a second thought for proper storage — after all, why dirty another vessel or create an additional step in your cleanup? But, could storing your opened cans of food in the fridge cause any potential problems?

The USDA quashes any would-be safety concerns, stating that there's no health risk to storing unused portions of canned foods right in the can they came in — as long as leftovers are eaten within four days. However, the truth is, while it's technically safe to store your leftovers this way, it's not the most prudent route to keep your food in tip-top shape. You should consider transferring leftovers into a proper glass or plastic storage container to keep them fresh and flavorful. The best ways to store open cans of food in the fridge all include creating an air-tight seal — either by using a tightly fitting lid made for cans or a layer of well-secured plastic wrap, or, better yet, stashing your leftovers in a closed container where food will stay free of spoilage for longer.

If you grew up heeding — or at least hearing — the warnings to never store food in their original cans due to concerns about toxic metal leaching into your food, that's because cans were made very differently then. 

As recently as 1995, cans in the U.S. could be, and typically were, made with lead in the seams of the can. So if your parents or grandma used to warn you of the dangers of stashing food in cans, they weren't being dramatic. Luckily, the U.S. has since banned the use of lead in cans, though some sources still point to the presence of BPA and similar cousin chemicals as reason enough to store food in other storage containers.

While generally speaking, canned food is incredibly safe, portable, and long-lasting and has dramatically changed how we shop and eat, there are still some common sense storage rules to follow  — before and after we pop open the cans. As long as you're choosing cans free of dints or dings, storing them smartly, and securing the leftovers in airtight containers, delicious (and in many cases, every bit as nutritious as the fresh versions) canned foods can be a staple in any kitchen.