Aluminum Levels in Foods Cooked and Stored in Aluminum Pans, Trays and Foil.

The aluminum content of 26 different foods was determined before and after the foods were cooked in uncoated new, conditioned and old aluminum pans, in stainless steel pans or in disposable aluminum trays and foil. All the foods tested contained small amounts of aluminum naturally. Some foods (i.e., potatoes boiled in new aluminum pans; cabbage and beef roasts cooked in aluminum pressure cookers; applesauce and eggs cooked in conditioned aluminum pans; tomatoes cooked in old aluminum pans; and mashed potatoes frozen and heated in TV dinner trays) accumulated significant (P<0.05) amounts of aluminum during preparation. However, the actual amounts of aluminum that were added to foods through the use of aluminum utensils were quite small as compared to the average dietary intake of aluminum by Americans.