Aluminium can be present naturally in food and is sometimes added during processing. But aluminium can also get into food from pans, baking trays, utensils and packaging.
Plants can take up aluminium from the soil and from water. So some plants, such as tea, and some herbs and leafy vegetables, can build up high levels of aluminium naturally.
Aluminium can also be added to food during processing. Some food additives contain aluminium. These are used in foods such as bakery products, dried powdered foods and drinks, and processed cheeses to improve the texture.
Also, aluminium can get into food from cookware that contains aluminium and from packaging such as aluminium foil and cartons.
It's best not to use aluminium products to cook or store foods that are highly acidic, such as:
tomatoes
rhubarb
cabbage
many soft fruits
This is because aluminium can affect the taste of these sorts of food, especially if they are stored in aluminium containers for a long time.
One study found that about 20% of aluminium in the diet comes from the use of aluminium cookware and foil. But other studies have shown that the use of aluminium cookware contributes little to the amount of aluminium we take in through our food.
There has been a lot of research into this area over the past 40 years. In 1997, the World Health Organization said that it had found no evidence that aluminium was a health risk for healthy people who were not in contact with aluminium because of their jobs, and there was no evidence that aluminium was a primary cause of Alzheimer's disease.
The rules that cover metals in food require that materials, such as aluminium, that are added to food or come into contact with food, do not make food harmful. The rules also make sure that metals such as aluminium do not change the nature, substance or quality of the food.
The Food Standards Agency regularly measures the average amount of aluminium in the UK diet. In the most recent survey, conducted in 2000, dietary intakes of aluminium were well within the safety guideline set by the World Health Organization.
