Can you safely cook or store food in galvanized trash cans?

A. It's usually not a good idea to use things for purposes they weren't designed for. One reason is that the designer had no intention for you to cook corn in the device which he tried to optimize for another purpose. Another reason is that medical studies are almost never conducted on such things, and even if they were, the garbage can designer might change his specifications and manufacturing methods at any time. So nobody can actually offer you a methodical answer, only a guess.

Garbage cans aren't designed to have food boiled in them. The boiling water might leach out whatever it reaches, and deposit onto the corn. The coating might or might not be only zinc; it may also include hexavalent chromates, and there may be weld or seam areas that can leach out additional contaminants. Plus, if they were used for garbage at any time, who knows what else might leach out? I am NOT saying that I think it is a likely safety issue or that people have actually been harmed by it; rather I think it is unlikely to have done anyone any harm. But I don't think the practice should be continued.

A. Hi Henry. I haven't heard of anyone doing it. I suppose it's theoretically possible to check for zinc and chrome and lead, but how would you check for everything else in the world that might possibly be there, especially in a used trash can? And are you going to test each trash can every time?

Regards,

A. Hi, Tom. The fact is, nobody knows or will soon know. Because when we use items in food preparation that were not intended for food preparation, we don't acquire any history, any real data ... at best we acquire an anecdote or two.

It would not surprise me if these trash cans had a tiny amount of hexavalent chromate on them, and such surfaces really shouldn't be used in food preparation. Only an opinion.

Regards,

A. Hi, Ann. As you see, we appended your inquiry to another thread. I personally doubt that there is any safety issue involved here, but that is an opinion that isn't really based on science.

I think you'll find few studies on such matters; but sometimes organizations like WHO do sponsor research into common 3rd-world practices of using everyday items in such ways, so maybe if you search hard you actually will find a report. Also, you might look into whether "bear-safe" food storage containers in parks, etc., are galvanized (I'll bet they are). Good luck.

Regards,

A. Hi, Marie. If you are selling this food, I agree. But if it's for personal use, who is asking you to do that?

I don't think it's a great idea to plan on storing food in galvanized garbage cans because there are certain acidy foods like tomatoes that probably shouldn't be stored in metal. And, because garbage cans are not designed for the purpose, nobody is accumulating and tabulating information about it. But I wouldn't think that it would condemn the food for personal use, especially since you've been doing the same for years. Edible plants are grown in galvanized pots; livestock of all sorts eat and drink directly out of galvanized troughs every day; rural peoples gather rainwater from galvanized roofs for drinking. For many years galvanized piping was used for water service. So who told you to throw all your food away?

Regards,

Q. The Utah Extension Service recommended I dispose of all food being stored in galvanized cans.
Marie

A. Hi, again.

Well, you can throw it away, or you can ask for their justification for this recommendation. Whether you get one or not, you apparently are free to decide what you want to do about it. Good luck with it. Personally, I wouldn't throw it out, but I'd line the cans with plastic bags next year. Good luck.

Regards,

A. Hi Michele. Everything is a matter of degree. I personally don't think it's a good idea to cook or store food directly in galvanized cans, but I think it's absolutely fine to make/store compost in it.

Galvanizing is a coating of zinc, and zinc is an essential nutrient, but not a food-safe material because of possible overdose. The galvanizing sometimes has a very very dilute coating of chromate on it, which again is not food-safe but surely can't be significant in compost. Good luck.

I am just the website administrator, and I certainly don't claim to be a world expert in the safety of galvanized containers :-)
... readers are welcome to chime in, but so far it's not happening on this particular topic.

Regards,

A. Hi Tom. Again, zinc is an essential nutrient, not a toxin, and the only potential problem is overdose.

Considering the highly poisonous carbon monoxide that is inherently produced in making charcoal, it seems to me that if you deal with the poison prudently, it will be nearly impossible to have any realistic worries regarding the essential nutrient.

Regards,

A. Hi Alfred. In my opinion, no.

Regards,

A. Hi Zack. No it's not safe, and yes it's possible that the EMT conduit (which is designed to facilitate snaking wires through), has an interior coating that is incompatible with steam. I can't believe any building inspector would let you pump steam through a system designed only to prevent wires from mechanical damage.

The primary danger doesn't seem to be contaminants, but running scalding pressurized steam through tubing never intended for that purpose. For steam I think you need Schedule 40 B.I. pipe -- please check the building codes. Good luck.

Regards,

A. Hi Debbie. I think there's a very good chance they were sitting in a galvanized silo before they got to you :-)

Regards,

A. Trash can cooking in a galvanized cans have been going on for years in Kansas City Bar-B-Q joints for years. Even uses the lids to serve from. Take a breath. Its's OK!

A. Hi Barbara. It's unlikely that anybody will get directly sick from it, and seniors have lived through much more dangerous times, but no, it's not considered acceptable here in 2019. Galvanizing (zinc) is generally not considered a safe food contact surface because excessive zinc can dissolve in either acid or alkali conditions, and most galvanized surfaces receive a dip in the hexavalent chrome made famous by Erin Brockovich.

Regards,

A. Hi Jay. I'm just the curator of this metal finishing website. Because I owe posters the common courtesy of responding if others readers don't, my name is on this page repeatedly -- but I'm certainly not a zinc epidemiologist able to quote statistics; actually I doubt that there is one anywhere :-)

As I've said repeatedly on this page and a half dozen like it, in my personal opinion I see no actual danger in what you are doing, but I do not like the general idea of using things for food service that were not intended for food service. If Chinese vendors put cadmium in children's jewelry when they can get away with it, how can I possibly assure you that they are careful to insure that there is no cadmium in garbage cans?

But I think the danger of Covid-19 is where your attention should be focused, not on whether fumes from a galvanized can that has already been burning for 8 hours will contaminate a turkey through multiple layers of aluminum foil. Happy Thanksgiving!

Luck & Regards,

Exactly tho- I don't want to make anybody sick for any reason ever. Covid or zinc oxide or otherwise. I'm just cooking for my little 4 person household and taking all precautions. But-- I have read every.single.thread about zinc on several pages. The only thing that sets my situation apart from ALL the OTHERS- is that my cooking takes place under ground. Sealed. With layers of dirt. There's no place for steam or smoke or [potentially zinc oxide] to escape to. I'm not a chemist. But I was worried about 'condensation'? Or something of the sort, seeping past layers of foil thereby poisoning the turkey. Haha Perhaps it seems ridiculous, but I'm trying to keep me & mine
I sincerely appreciate you & your efforts to keep this informative.

A. Hi. I think:
1. the idea of burning coals in the can or under the can for a while first is always a prudent idea to remove whatever portion of anything is itching to be removed;
2. zinc being an essential micronutrient, not a poison anyway; and
3. the foil being for practical purposes vaporproof
... means you have triple protection and no need for concern at all :-)

Luck & Regards,

Yep, so long as the turkey doesn't mind.

A. Burning off a new smoker/grill made from anything is good practice always.

And theoretically, inside the foil is positive pressure from the moisture in the turkey itself, as steam expands and escapes through the seams. So net vapor movement is outwards.

Just don't go cooking chili directly in a trash can or something like that!