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Aluminum in the kitchen ..... the dangers to avoid

del 16/08/2017

Aluminum is a highly used material in the food sector.
Pots and coffeepots are often made of aluminum alloys and for the preservation of many foods are often used trays and aluminum foil.

The aluminum pans suitable for the cooking of the food must be internally coated with a layer of paint that isolates it from direct contact with the food.

In this case, aluminum is no longer in contact with food but is the polymer layer that prevents metal migration in foods.

A recent laboratory study conducted by the Higher Health Institute ( http://www.iss.it/ ) has defined some recommendations for safe use of aluminum in the kitchen.

A very important aspect is the temperature. Store at a temperature of around 5 ° C (in a refrigerator), limiting the migration of aluminum to food.

What to do, then, to minimize the risks?

As for cooking with pots, pans and coffeepots, aluminum is usually oxidized with a layer that prevents the passage of aluminum to the food being cooked, in the aluminum trays, as we mentioned earlier, a paint is used to block the migration of aluminum ions into food.

Cooking food with tinfoil or aluminum foil is another thing.

The disposable aluminum sheet does not have that inert layer that prevents the passage and hence there is an aluminum migration into the food during cooking that is above the limit established by the WHO.

In particular, it has been noted that aluminum penetrates more easily into acidic and liquid foods such as lemon and tomato juice and spices.

According to this research, therefore, the use of aluminum foil to cook food is highly unsuitable, on the contrary, the aluminum sheet is safe to store foods at low temperatures but always for a limited period of time and preferably not in contact with acidic substances such as tomato or lemon juice.