Canned foods such as corned beef have always been questionable sources of nourishment, one medical practitioner has said.

According to General Practitioner Dr Orlando Thomas, it is not only corned beef that poses a threat to health, but all processed foods are dangerous for human consumption. Therefore, persons need not worry about consuming contaminated meat because other canned products may lead to the development of health issues. Dr Thomas, in an interview with the

Jamaica Observer last week, said that in 2015 the World Health Organization (WHO) had released an article citing processed meats as being in Class A of foods that are carcinogenic, meaning something that may cause cancer, and they are just as harmful for consumption as tobacco and alcohol. He added that medical complaints such as ptomaine poisoning or allergic reactions to canned foods tend to be common complaints among persons who eat processed meats.

“So, you’re not getting fresh foods or fresh meats. They are foods that usually have been stored for months and months. The availability of the nutrients and the quality of the nutrients in these foods that have been kept for months have been called into question, and so they are no way as nutritious as foods that are fresh from the abattoir or from the farm. Corned beef and other tinned meats, other processed meats, have been proven to be carcinogenic and I personally will not advise anyone to consume them, whether they are tainted or not. They are not safe foods. they’re unhealthy foods, and that’s been proven; WHO has said this,” Dr Thomas said.

He added that whether or not persons had been consuming contaminated meat is difficult to prove as everyone’s immune system has a different level of tolerance and therefore reacts differently to things.

“It’s possible for you to be consuming small amounts of germs from tainted meat from a long time and the effects may take months and years to manifest. They may not necessarily have an effect the same time; they may have an effect, sometimes, a couple weeks later and may not be associated with what you ate two weeks ago. So, whether persons have been getting sick or not doesn’t mean they should consume it,” Dr Thomas stated.

Concern about the consumption of canned foods, in particular corned beef, heightened two weeks ago after the Government of Jamaica banned imports of corned beef from Brazil, citing contamination at one of the main plants that supplies the Jamaican market with the product. The ban was lifted last week after it emerged that authorities in Brazil had given the ‘all clear’ signal for consumption of the product to resume.

According to Dr Thomas, there may not be any serious long-term effects associated with consuming contaminated meat. He added that noticeable effects are more likely short term.

“Short-term effects would be gastrointestinal problems. Initially, persons may have upset stomach problems or vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain. these are some of the short-term effects. Especially elderly persons and kids with weak immune systems are particularly at risk. Persons with underlying bowel problems like ulcers and ulcerative colitis can have significant flare-ups. There are a lot of persons that can be affected and they can be affected severely, for example if they get serious diarrhoea they can die from dehydration, so it is potentially serious,” Dr Thomas told the

Sunday Observer.

Nutrition coach and owner of Complete Nutritional Care Diet Centre, Janet Rankine Henry, said that time constraints due to work and other situations hinder people from preparing freshly cooked meals. She also said that time management is therefore one of the main reasons which have led persons to consume canned meat, because it is easier for someone to quickly whip up a tin of corned beef rather than to prepare a healthy meal. However, she added, items such as corned beef are very high in sodium as well as fat. The high sodium content, she said, could result in hypertension and the fat leads to high cholesterol, which is a problem now facing Jamaicans.

She said that this is why she was led to create her own company, which provides a healthy alternative to the unhealthy foods that persons are consuming. She provides local meals, as well as healthy snacks such as shakes and other drinks, which are all natural and assist in also boosting the metabolic rate of individuals. Her pre-packaged meals called Meta-bolic Balance 360, which is a complete nutritional meal that will be released in mid-April, can be eaten as a snack, dinner, breakfast or lunch, she said.