San Marzano tomatoes canned without BPA lining

I love canned San Marzano tomatoes but I am more and more concerned by the BPA released from the resin lining of most cans of these tomatoes.
Is there any brand of canned SM tomatoes that does not use this potentially harmful lining in their cans available in Chicago?
TKS
P.S: The Mighty Vine hydroponic tomatoes are fine for salads or appetizers, but too expensive to be used in relatively large quantity of sauce , or in a stew.

Best Canned Tomatoes: Are San Marzano Really Worth It?

Epicurious tested a number of plum tomatoes, but an Indiana brand came up on top:

REDPACK WHOLE PEELED PLUM TOMATOES

This US-owned company (all of the tomatoes are grown on family-owned farms in Indiana) delivered on what we always wanted: a pure tomato flavor with a balance of acidity and sweetness. Sam loved that this variety was “sweeter than some of the others, but sort of a nice jammy sweetness.” Aside from being the best canned tomatoes we tried, these were also the cheapest. You know that one about books and covers? Turns out that goes double for tomatoes and labels. (Note: In some parts of the country Redpack is sold as Red Gold.)

They are in fact sold as Red Gold round these parts. We use their products regularly and are very happy with them.

Buddy

We also use Red Gold tomatoes. They do not have the under-ripe pieces that are common in the California brands which use machine-harvested determinate tomatoes. I suspect that Red Gold uses indeterminate tomatoes and hand harvesting.

I like the Red Golds, but since discovering Tuttorosso tomatoes (sold at Caputo's), I've completely switched over to those. Just opening the can and looking inside at the way they they are perfectly packed immediately sets them apart, and they taste great, too.

The tomatoes are always beautifully whole and in perfect condition. There are never any random pieces.

Any idea what the BPA situation is with the Tuttorosso tomatoes? That was the OP's concern.

Buddy

Tuttorosso is one of several brands owned by Red Gold, which has become a surprisingly large company (this article has some interesting background information). According to the FAQs on both the Red Gold and Tuttorosso websites (this Q&A is identical in the two FAQs), Red Gold products, including Tuttorosso, are packed in BPA-free containers:

Q. Do you use BPA free containers?

A. Yes, all of our containers are now BPA free. Now before you can ask about taking out BPA and putting in something else…let us tell you! Our BPA FREE CONTAINERS DO NOT CONTAIN BPS, BPF, or phthalates. The lining inside the can puts a barrier between the tomatoes and the tin-free steel. The lining may be various colors of gold, but it is all the same BPA free lining…a high performance polyester (not the same as your pants!) and has been developed and tested repeatedly by our container suppliers and us for safety, shelf-life and flavor protection.

According to the Tuttorosso FAQs, Tuttorosso tomatoes come from the same sources as other Red Gold products (the wording of this Q&A is identical in the two FAQs except for the brand name):

Q. Are Tuttorosso products made in the USA?

A. They are not only manufactured in the USA (Indiana to be specific), but our tomatoes are grown in the most luscious soil in the USA…Indiana, Ohio and Michigan! Over 50 family farms grow over 14,000 acres of tomatoes for Red Gold, all within a 200 mile radius of our manufacturing facilities.

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:Any idea what the BPA situation is with the Tuttorosso tomatoes? That was the OP's concern.

Buddy

I just looked at a can I have in my cupboard. They are non BPA/BPS, non GMO, and sustainably raised in the USA. Interestingly enough, they are distributed by Red Gold out of Elwood, IN.

ETA: I see Rene G has already sussed out most of this info.

So, is there any discernible difference quality-wise between the two if they're both Red Gold products?

Buddy

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:So, is there any discernible difference quality-wise between the two if they're both Red Gold products?

Buddy

I've never done a side by side, but I remember being impressed enough with the Tuttorossos to switch from RG a few years ago.

I'll get a can of Red Gold in the next few days and do a real time comparison, cause now I'm real curious, too.

stevez wrote:

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:So, is there any discernible difference quality-wise between the two if they're both Red Gold products?

Buddy

I've never done a side by side, but I remember being impressed enough with the Tuttorossos to switch from RG a few years ago.

I'll get a can of Red Gold in the next few days and do a real time comparison, cause now I'm real curious, too.

Why not bring it to the picnic for everyone to discern.

Regards,
Cathy2

Cathy2 wrote:

stevez wrote:

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:So, is there any discernible difference quality-wise between the two if they're both Red Gold products?

Buddy

I've never done a side by side, but I remember being impressed enough with the Tuttorossos to switch from RG a few years ago.

I'll get a can of Red Gold in the next few days and do a real time comparison, cause now I'm real curious, too.

Why not bring it to the picnic for everyone to discern.

Regards,
Cathy2

Good idea. Maybe I'll make two versions of the same dish; one with Red Gold and one with Tuttorosso. I'll give it some thought.

We use both, and I have never noticed any difference. Both are much better than the big California brands.

Agreed. Although I find it annoying that the company's focus on quality ends with its use of HFCS in their ketchup.

Buddy

My favorite: Carmelina e San Marzano. Said to be BPA free. Very bright tomato flavor, low acidity, and no added ingredients.

If you want real San Marzano tomatoes, Cento brand is consistently ranked as one of the top choices in canned tomato taste tests and it is sold in BPA-free cans. I've used the cans of whole tomatoes when making sauce for pastas and pizza and I've been very pleased.

And another US brand that always fares well in canned tomato taste tests is Muir Glen, from California, and also sold in BPA-free cans. Again, I've been pleased with the quality of their canned, whole tomatoes when making sauce.