An adult portion (250g, which is more than half a can of around 400g) of Heinz or Suma organic beans contains 13.5 g of sugar, more than a two finger Kit Kat! There are two main ethical issues when it comes to the use of tin: 1) Human rights and environmental destruction

And while, like many foods, the cost of a can of beans has risen over the past year, our supermarket winners remain modestly priced. The cheapest Best Buy cost just 50p a tin. In April 2023, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) re-evaluated BPA’s safety and reduced the tolerable daily intake (TDI) to 0.2 nanograms per kilogram of body weight per day. That’s 20,000 times lower than what it was before. Prices and availability correct as of 27 February 2023. Updated 3 April 2023 to remove Aldi due to supply changes. Tagged as: Most baked bean recipes, whether vegan or not, contain sugar in one form or another, whether by adding molasses, brown sugar or even coconut sugar. But this recipe doesn't have any at all, and yet still retains that delicious, sweet, smokey and savoury flavour. Tin is one of the four conflict minerals. Tin is considered a conflict mineral due to its association with armed conflicts and human rights abuses in certain regions of the world. As many depend on the tin industry for their livelihood, it would be careless to simply stop using tin or stop sourcing it from conflict areas. Campaigners are pushing for regulation and better standards.

Beans means ... high sugar and salt

The sugar content of a tin of Biona organic beans has gone up by 40% in the last six years and is now the brand with the most sugar in. An adult serving of Biona tinned beans equates to 14.75 g of sugar – nearly three sugar cubes! Should you buy reduced-sugar baked beans? There are non-toxic alternatives such as oleoresin (oil and plant resin) and polyester and acrylic resins. Another option is to avoid cans and buy beans in glass jars. Studies have shown that you can reduce BPA levels in your body by as much as two-thirds by avoiding canned foods – in just a few days. What the bean companies say about BPA Nothing to say Our consumer panel blind-tasted baked beans from Branston, Heinz and HP, plus eight supermarket options from Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco and more.

One way in which Heinz has one up on its rival is that it provides some information on the BPA in its can linings, whereas Branston stays schtum. The baked bean buyer, especially when they find themselves in the average supermarket, is often faced with little choice: it’s either Heinz or Branston – both of which sit at the unethical end of our score table. But there is still an ethical choice to be made in this situation. The size of the tins are the same but the weights of the beans we tested ranged from 400g up to 420g. It basically comes down to a choice between the US company Kraft Heinz and the Japanese duo that own Branston – Mitsubishi Corp and Mizkan Group. Stevia also comes from a plant native to Central and South America. It is sweeter than sugar but contains no calories or sugars. However, highly refined extracts may perpetuate the desire for sweet-tasting foods and drinks, and therefore overconsumption is not recommended.The jury’s out on whether sugar alternatives are better or worse for you than sugar itself. It’s swings and roundabouts. STEP 3) When the beans are soft (it can depend on how fresh/old the beans are): Follow the recipe to make the baked beans. They take a while to cook, so put them on a slow heat and just leave them, again making sure they don't run dry! They are 'low sugar' according to NHS guidelines , but it comes down to how much you eat, and what you have them with. A full can of the most sugary beans on test (Lidl's) adds up to 19g – about four teaspoons of sugar.

If an adult portion of baked beans is 250 g, with Heinz beans an adult gets 1.5 g of salt, which is a quarter of their recommended maximum daily intake. With Bionova they would get nearly half. Most baked bean brands have low-sugar/low-salt versions, so you may want to give them a try if you're watching your intake. We only included standard versions in our taste test to ensure products were comparable.Heinz baked beans may have been around for more than 130 years, but the iconic brand didn't stand out in our taste tests. In fact, most supermarket own-brands scored higher, with one cheaper can impressing our panel of baked bean enthusiasts beyond all others. Looking at the score table, Branston scores higher across all categories than Heinz, although both are very low scoring overall. Disappointingly, Suma organic and Heinz organic beans are still two of the worst for sugar. They were two of the worst when we reviewed beans previously, in our 2012 and 2017 guides. The baked beans were assessed in February 2023 by a large panel of consumers who regularly buy and consume baked beans.

The make-up of the panel broadly represents the demographic profile of adults in the UK. Each brand of baked bean was assessed by 82 people. The world's biggest exporter of tin is Indonesia, with 90% of Indonesia’s tin coming from two islands: Bangka and Belitung. The tin industry in Indonesia was deregulated in 2001, since then mining operations have accelerated across the islands. Whole Earth: “Our baked bean cans currently do contain BPA to prevent the erosion of the metal and subsequent contamination of the products but we are working to change this.” Live well for less – sign up to our free food and health newsletter for monthly insights and advice, plus the latest taste tests Looking for simple midweek meal solutions and fuss-free family feasts? See BBC Good Food's easy dinner recipes .STEP 2) In the morning, drain the water, refill with fresh water and simmer the beans slowly for 2 hours. Don't let the pot run dry.