Aluminum in Food: Guest's Concerns & My Response

[wadesgirl]

I had a guest last night ask about a few of our products. She says that she refuses to use anything with Aluminum in it because it can seep into your food. She kept going on and on about this. She had me check into our sheet pans - which are aluminized steel - and our grill basket - which is all steel. I just thought this was different and figured I would see if anyone else has heard of this.

Oh yah, and apparently I like the taste of aluminum according to her since I prefer to drink pop from a can!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Re: Aluminum?At one time aluminum was linked to Alzheimer's Disease, because of finding large deposits of aluminum in the brain stem (I think thats where they were finding it) of patients with Alzheimers. This caused a widespread fear of aluminum.

This has since been disproven. The aluminum wasn't from cans, or cookware, or deoderant, or using aluminum foil. It is something that is produced internally. Let me see if I can find some articles about it.

But, like all old wives tails, and viral emails...it's been spread around until it's considered the truth....like the thinking that eggs are bad for you.

 

[Kathy's_Kitchen]

Re: Aluminum?Eggs are bad for me?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Re: Aluminum?

Eggs are bad for me?

LOL - are you trying to start something?

 

[pamperedlinda]

Re: Aluminum?I had someone ask me last night about aluminum too (she was nice about it though). She was wondering if any of the aluminum core was exposed. She didn't buy any cookware - but she did spend $100!

 

[wadesgirl]

Re: Aluminum?

I had someone ask me last night about aluminum too (she was nice about it though). She was wondering if any of the aluminum core was exposed. She didn't buy any cookware - but she did spend $100!

My guest didn't buy anything until I get back to her about those two products.

 

[Jules711]

Re: Aluminum?I just had someone concerned about aluminum too, but was bought the sheet pan b/c it's an aluminum core so it's not on the surface. Thanks for the info WHY they are probably worried. Good to know!Just look at the Product info Guide on CC and if you don't get your answer, call/email HO. Then you'll have the answer from the company.

 

[wadesgirl]

Re: Aluminum?

At one time aluminum was linked to Alzheimer's Disease, because of finding large deposits of aluminum in the brain stem (I think thats where they were finding it) of patients with Alzheimers. This caused a widespread fear of aluminum.

This has since been disproven. The aluminum wasn't from cans, or cookware, or deoderant, or using aluminum foil. It is something that is produced internally. Let me see if I can find some articles about it.

But, like all old wives tails, and viral emails...it's been spread around until it's considered the truth....like the thinking that eggs are bad for you.

I figured this had something to do with it.

I just had someone concerned about aluminum too, but was bought the sheet pan b/c it's an aluminum core so it's not on the surface. Thanks for the info WHY they are probably worried. Good to know!

Just look at the Product info Guide on CC and if you don't get your answer, call/email HO. Then you'll have the answer from the company.

It's all in the PIG on CC. The sheet pans say aluminized steel so I don't know if it's just the core.

 

[AnnieBee]

Re: Aluminum?check this out...

it's from the FDA. Keep reading until you get to the part specifically about aluminum cookware, and also anodised cookware.

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/consumer/con00036.html

For what it's worth, aluminum is chemically EXREMELY reactive, to the point that you will actually almost never come into contact with it, because it will immediately react with oxygen in the air to make Aluminium Oxide (it will make a *very* thin coating all over the aluminum object)... Which is extremely stable and UNREACTIVE! Acidic foods will react with it (Al2O3), hence ketchup eating through alumunum foil, but anodized aluminum won't react in this way. So basically, everything you think of as being made of aluminum (foil, containers etc) is all coated with a microscopically thin layer of very hard and unreactive aluminum oxide, which is not likely to leach into your food. I can't comment so much on the anodised aluminium, but the article talks about that. And for what it's worth, I'm not a doctor, so I can't comment on the effects of Aluminum once ingested (although the article says it's not an issue), but chemically I can't see cooking with Aluminium being a problem, especially if it is sandwiched like in the cookware.

Either way, the amounts of aluminum that might be ingested through cookware are, according to this article, neglible and irrelevant relative to other sources of aluminum we are already ingesting!

HTH... I'll see if I can find anthing more up-to-date as well...

Also http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3864.htm

http://www.foodsafetysite.com/consumers/faq/index.html?m_knowledgebase_article=373

 

[Kathy's_Kitchen]

Re: Aluminum?

LOL - are you trying to start something?

Why not? I stayed FAR away from the political threads and now that the election is over I figured we might need something else to debate on!