Aluminum From Cans

Mike said:

I tend to be reluctant about buying canned products, especially acidic foods like tomatoes,
because of a concern about the aluminum which might leach into the contents.

Anybody have knowledge as to whether this is valid?

Mostly, no. Cans, even cans for soda and beer, are coated on the inside to prevent reactions with
the can contents. If something acidic like tomatos were canned in an uncoated aluminum can, it would
quickly dissolve a hole in it.

That said, I've seen cans that had failed coatings and corrosion. The only ones I recall offhand
were canned water chestnuts from China. The coating was scratched, and there was visible corrosion
of the metal along the scratch. So, I'd only be concerned about canned food imported from third-
world countries. Visual inspection should reveal if there's a problem.