John Myers
Moist, acidic or salty foods should not come into contact with aluminum foil. What you should know to use aluminum foil safely.
The essentials in brief:
- Aluminum can enter the body via food or cosmetics and, in excessive amounts, can permanently damage the nervous system, fertility or bone development.
- Aluminum can get into food through moisture, acid and salt. Therefore, do not allow acidic and salty foods to come into contact with aluminum.
- The European Food Safety Authority has set 1 milligram of aluminum per kilogram of body weight as the maximum tolerable intake level per week.
- As a precaution, minimize the intake of aluminum. This can be achieved above all through the correct handling of objects made of aluminum and the avoidance of certain cosmetics.
Aluminum and its compounds are a natural component in many foods – for example in drinking water, spices, black tea, rocket or pretzels. In addition, aluminum also gets into food via consumer goods such as aluminum foil or aluminum tableware. Medicines and cosmetics such as toothpastes with a whitening effect and sun creams can also be a source of intake for humans.
Minimizing your body’s exposure to aluminum is less about avoiding foods naturally rich in aluminum and more about avoiding supplemental intake. This is done, for example, by using aluminum-containing food contact materials such as aluminum foil or uncoated aluminum menu trays on food.
Sour and salty foods do not belong in aluminum foil
When salt or acid, for example from lemon or tomato paste, comes into contact with aluminum foil, aluminum is released from the foil. The result: Small parts of the metal get into the food packaged in it and are eaten – health risks cannot be ruled out.
Aluminum can also migrate into food if you cover salty and acidic foods with aluminum foil on plates or in metal bowls. Then the film can dissolve through chemical reactions.
Moist, acidic or salty foods should therefore not come into contact with aluminum foil for a long time. Aluminum foil and containers for food must therefore be labeled for safe and proper use. This must not downplay the health risks.
Health hazards not excluded
Aluminum ingested through food is not considered to be acutely harmful to health because the toxicity is classified as low. However, the metal can accumulate in the body. Although a large part of the aluminum ingested is excreted via the kidneys in healthy people, aluminum that is not excreted can accumulate over the course of life, especially in the lungs and skeletal system. This increases the risk of nerve and kidney diseases. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment also cites effects on fertility and bone development.
In addition, some scientists suspect that aluminum can promote dementia and other health problems such as breast cancer. However, this has not been clearly proven.
As a precaution, the intake of aluminum should be as low as possible. The European Food Safety Authority has set one milligram of aluminum per kilogram of body weight as the maximum tolerable intake level per week.
Misleading warning
The EU consumer goods regulation prescribes instructions “for safe and proper use” for objects that can come into contact with food. In the case of aluminum foil, this information is usually as follows or something similar:
“Do not use aluminum foil to cover moist, acidic or salty foods on metal serving platters or bowls. Aluminum foil should not come into contact with acidic or salty foods.” This also applies to grill trays or disposable trays made of aluminum that are not covered with a protective layer.
Supplementing this note with the addition “aluminum components released into food are not harmful to health” is inadmissible for aluminum foil according to a decision by the Working Group on Food Chemical Experts (ALS).
The consumer advice centers have also found that the prescribed notices are often small and inconspicuous. As a result, buyers cannot sufficiently perceive and observe these important instructions. In addition, unfortunately, retailers still offer ready-to-cook products such as deep-frozen fish with a spice mix for cooking in an aluminum tray. The legislature should prevent that.
Aluminum foil: tips for kitchen practice
- Do not use aluminum foil to cover moist, acidic, and high-salt foods on metal serving platters or bowls.
- Do not keep foods, especially those containing acid and salt, wrapped in aluminum foil for long periods of time.
- Use aluminum foil to cook food as little as possible.
- Grill food in aluminum grill pans only briefly and only add salt and seasoning afterwards. Reusable alternatives made of stainless steel are better.
- For items that are intended for food, always follow the instructions for safe and proper use.
- Consume meals from uncoated aluminum bowls as little as possible.
- Aluminum packaging materials such as coffee capsules, yoghurt pot lids and beverage cans are generally harmless in terms of health. They are specially coated so that the aluminum does not come into contact with the food.
