Is Cooking with Aluminum Foil Safe

Is cooking with aluminum foil safe

Aluminum foil has good food safety. The European Aluminum Foil Association (EAFA) points out that although aluminum ions may migrate into food due to the strong acidity and alkalinity of some foods, according to the current scientific status, aluminum intake within a reasonable range is not harmful to ordinary healthy consumers. No health hazards are caused.

According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the upper limit of aluminum intake is one mg per kilogram of body weight per week (that is, a person weighing 70 kg can consume up to 70 mg of aluminum per week), which is safe from a physiological perspective. In 2011, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization/WHO announced that the upper limit of aluminum intake tolerance was two milligrams per kilogram of body weight per week.

Other studies have shown that although cooking food with aluminum foil can lead to increased aluminum levels in food, laboratory-measured aluminum contamination levels in food may be difficult to reach the limit of two milligrams per kilogram of body weight per week. The extra heavy duty aluminum foil is often used for baking and bbq.

But for some special groups, such as younger children and people with chronic kidney failure, caution is needed when cooking with aluminum foil.

Advantages of aluminum foil packaging

During storage, food deterioration is mostly the result of the influence of moisture, oxygen and light (visible light and ultraviolet light). Good barrier properties are an important reason why aluminum foil can be widely used in food packaging. Even if the aluminum foil is very thin, it can effectively block the contact between the food in the package and moisture, oxygen and light, thereby achieving good moisture-proof, fresh-keeping, light-proof and aroma-preserving effects.

Studies have shown that at an ambient temperature of 23°C and different humidity conditions, compared with most plastic materials used for food (such as HOPE, LDPE, PET), aluminum foil has the lowest water vapor transmission rate, less than 0.1g /m²d. In addition, aluminum foil has very good performance in terms of oxygen barrier, light shielding, fragrance retention, and oil barrier, while plastic materials generally have a common performance in these aspects.

Application scope of aluminum foil packaging

1. Coffee capsule/Coffee cop is one of the common packaging forms using aluminum foil.

2. The barrier properties of food packaging aluminum foil can prevent the chocolate from being exposed to water vapor. At the same time, the good thermal conductivity also makes it difficult for the heat on the surface of the chocolate packaging to accumulate and heat up. Therefore, aluminum foil packaging can be said to be one of the ideal packaging for chocolate.

3. Aluminum foil packaging can prevent dairy products from coming into contact with the external environment, reduce oxidation reactions and bacterial growth, thereby maintaining the freshness and taste of food. Low-temperature dairy products often have the same preservation requirements as fruit drinks and normal-temperature milk, and are often packaged in aluminum foil.

4. Many nut snacks are also packaged in aluminum foil. Because nut foods are easily oxidized by air and moisture, they will lose their best taste after becoming soft.

5. Aluminum foil container is ideal for pre-prepared dishes because the aluminum foil material is resistant to high and low temperatures, suitable for heating, and has strong ductility and can be made into packages of various shapes.