Is It Safe to Use Aluminum Foil in Cooking?

Aluminum strip and foil products are common household products that’s 

often used in cooking.
        
        
            Some claim that using aluminum foil in cooking can cause aluminum 

to seep into your food and put your health at risk.
        
        
            However, others say it’s entirely safe to use.
        
        
            This article explores the risks associated with using aluminum foil 

and determines whether or not it is acceptable for everyday use.
        
    


    
        
            What Is Aluminum Foil?
        
    
    
        
            Aluminum foil, or tin foil, is a paper-thin, shiny sheet of 

aluminum metal. It’s made by rolling large slabs of aluminum until they are 

less than 0.2 mm thick.
        
        
            It’s used industrially for a variety of purposes, including 

packing, insulation and transportation. It’s also widely available in grocery 

stores for household use.
        
        
            At home, people use aluminum foil for food storage, to cover baking 

surfaces and to wrap foods, such as meats, to prevent them from losing moisture 

while cooking.
        
        
            People may also use aluminum foil to wrap and protect more delicate 

foods, like vegetables, when grilling them.
        
        
            Lastly, it can be used to line grill trays to keep things tidy and 

for scrubbing pans or grill grates to remove stubborn stains and residue.
        
    


    
        There Are Small Amounts of Aluminum in Food
    


    
        Aluminum is one of the most abundant metals on earth.
    
    
        In its natural state, it is bound to other elements like phosphate and 

sulfate in soil, rocks and clay.
    
    
        However, it’s also found in small amounts in the air, water and in 

your food.
    
    
        In fact, it’s naturally occurring in most foods, including fruits, 

vegetables, meats, fish, grains and dairy products.
    
    
        Some foods, such as tea leaves, mushrooms, spinach and radishes, are 

also more likely to absorb and accumulate aluminum than other foods.
    
    
        Additionally, some of the aluminum you eat comes from processed food 

additives, such as preservatives, coloring agents, anti-caking agents and 

thickeners.
    
    
        Note that commercially produced foods containing food additives may 

contain more aluminum than home-cooked foods.
    
    
        The actual amount of aluminum present in the food you eat depends 

largely on the following factors:
    
    
        
            
                Absorption: How readily a food absorbs and holds on to aluminum
            
        
        
            
                Soil: The aluminum content of the soil the food was grown in
            
        
        
            
                Packaging: If the food has been packaged and stored in aluminum 

packaging
            
        
        
            
                Additives: Whether the food has had certain additives added 

during processing
            
        
    
    
        Aluminum is also ingested through medications that have a high aluminum 

content, like antacids.
    
    
        Regardless, the aluminum content of food and medication isn’t 

considered to be a problem, as only a tiny amount of the aluminum you ingest is 

actually absorbed.
    
    
        The rest is passed in your feces. Furthermore, in healthy people, 

absorbed aluminum is later excreted in your urine.
    
    
        Generally, the small amount of aluminum you ingest daily is considered 

safe.
    


    
        Cooking With Aluminum Foil May Increase the Aluminum Content of Foods
    


    
        Most of your aluminum intake comes from food.
    
    
        However, studies show that [url=http://www.hykjgs.net/aluminum-strip-

and-foil-products/single-zero-aluminum-foil/]single zero aluminum foil[/url], 

cooking utensils and containers can leach aluminum into your food.
    
    
        This means that cooking with aluminum foil may increase the aluminum 

content of your diet. The amount of aluminum that passes into your food when 

cooking with aluminum foil is affected by a number of things, such as:
    
    
        
            
                Temperature: Cooking at higher temperatures
            
        
        
            
                Foods: Cooking with acidic foods, such as tomatoes, cabbage and 

rhubarb
            
        
        
            
                Certain ingredients: Using salts and spices in your cooking
            
        
    
    
        However, the amount that permeates your food when cooking can vary.
    
    
        For example, one study found that cooking red meat in 

[url=http://www.hykjgs.net/aluminum-strip-and-foil-products/double-zero-

aluminum-foil/]double zero aluminum foil[/url] could increase its aluminum 

content by between 89% and 378%.
    
    
        Such studies have caused concern that the regular use of aluminum foil 

in cooking could be harmful to your health. However, there is currently no 

strong evidence linking the use of aluminum foil with an increased risk of 

disease.
    


    
        Potential Health Risks of Too Much Aluminum
    


    
        The day-to-day exposure to aluminum that you have through your food and 

cooking is considered safe.
    
    
        This is because healthy people can efficiently excrete the small 

amounts of aluminum the body absorbs.
    
    
        Nevertheless, dietary aluminum has been suggested as a potential factor 

in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
    
    
        Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological condition caused by a loss of 

brain cells. People with the condition experience memory loss and a reduction 

in brain function.
    
    
        The cause of Alzheimer’s is unknown, but it is thought to be due to a 

combination of genetic and environmental factors, which can damage the brain 

over time.
    
    
        High levels of aluminum have been found in the brains of people with 

Alzheimer’s.
    
    
        However, as there is no link between people with a high intake of 

aluminum due to medications, such as antacids, and Alzheimer’s, it’s unclear 

if dietary aluminum is truly a cause of the disease.
    
    
        It is possible that exposure to very high levels of dietary aluminum 

may contribute to the development of brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.
    
    
        But the exact role aluminum plays in the development and progression of 

Alzheimer’s, if any, is yet to be determined.
    
    
        In addition to its potential role in brain disease, a handful of 

studies have suggested that dietary aluminum could be an environmental risk 

factor for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
    
    
        Despite some test-tube and animal studies that allude to correlation, 

no studies have yet found a definitive link between aluminum intake and IBD.
    


    
        How to Minimize Your Exposure to Aluminum When Cooking
    


    
        It’s impossible to completely remove aluminum from your diet, but you 

can work to minimize it.
    
    
        The World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Drug Administration 

(FDA) have agreed that levels below 2 mg per 2.2 pounds (1 kg) body weight per 

week are unlikely to cause health problems.
    
    
        The European Food Safety Authority uses a more conservative estimate of 

1 mg per 2.2 pounds (1 kg) body weight per week.
    
    
        However, it’s assumed that most people consume much less than this 

Here are some steps you can take to minimize unnecessary exposure to aluminum 

when cooking:
    
    
        
            
                Avoid high-heat cooking: Cook your foods at lower temperatures 

when possible.
            
        
        
            
                Use less aluminum foil: Reduce your use of aluminum foil for 

cooking, especially if cooking with acidic foods, like tomatoes or lemons.
            
        
        
            
                Use non-aluminum utensils: Use non-aluminum utensils to cook 

your food, such as glass or porcelain dishes and utensils.
            
        
        
            
                Avoid mixing aluminum foil and acidic foods: Avoid exposing 

aluminum foil or cookware to acidic food, such as tomato sauce or rhubarb.
            
        
    
    
        Additionally, as commercially processed foods can be packaged in 

aluminum or contain food additives that contain it, they may have higher levels 

of aluminum than their homemade equivalents.
    
    
        Thus, eating mostly home-cooked foods and reducing your intake of 

commercially processed foods may help to reduce your aluminum intake.
    


    
        Should You Stop Using Aluminum Foil?
    


    
        [url=http://www.hykjgs.net/aluminum-strip-and-foil-products/container-

aluminum-foil/]Container aluminum foil[/url] isn’t considered dangerous, but 

it can increase the aluminum content of your diet by a small amount.
    
    
        If you are concerned about the amount of aluminum in your diet, you may 

want to stop cooking with aluminum foil.
    
    
        However, the amount of aluminum that foil contributes to your diet is 

likely insignificant.
    
    
        As you are probably eating far below the amount of aluminum that is 

considered safe, removing aluminum foil from your cooking shouldn’t be 

necessary. [url=http://www.hykjgs.net/aluminum-strip-and-foil-

products/aluminum-strip/]Aluminum strip[/url] casting is a key contributor to 

weight saving possibilities, particularly in the automotive industry and 

although strip casting has been established for over 50 years, it continues to 

increase in popularity.Casting speeds can be limited by several factors 

including the type of alloy being cast and the desired sheet thickness required
    


    
        In the automotive industry, decreasing weight is one of the most 

important challenges which needs to be solved and using aluminum alloys instead 

of the more traditional steels enables a great opportunity to decrease weight 

substantially of the overall vehicle.
    
    
        However, sheets of aluminum alloy used for automobile body work are 

very expensive. Therefore, in order to make use of aluminum alloys cost 

effective it is necessary to develop a low cost aluminum alloy sheet which can 

handle the intended application requirements.
    
    
        The development of continuous casters for

aluminum products has been well documented over the past 50 years. 

Processes are classified according to the thickness that can be produced using 

either thin slab or strip casting. Thin slab and thin strip casting bypasses 

the semi-finished product stage, reducing reheating and eliminating a number of 

rolling steps, thus providing for considerable energy savings and significant 

improvements in productivity.