Do you regularly cover your baking trays with aluminum foil before roasting meat? This reflex would be a (very) bad idea, according to the Tiktok police. Internet users claim that aluminum would enter our food once heated to high temperatures. But is this rumor true? To find out, we asked Dr Arnaud Cocaul, a nutritionist, the question.
Aluminum in the kitchen: a bad idea?
Practical and affordable, aluminum foil is used to preserve and cook many foods.
“Aluminum foil is generally safe for baking at normal oven temperatures“, confides Darin Detwiler, president of the food safety program of the National Environmental Health Association, in the columns of HuffPost.
The problem ? Aluminum is frequently used to cook foods at high temperatures… even though it cannot withstand heat. This is particularly the case with fish papillotes or barbecued camembert.
Several scientific studies have also demonstrated that cooking acidic or salty foods at high temperatures could lead to greater infiltration of aluminum into cooked products.
EFSA confirms “that in the presence of acids and salts, the use of aluminum pans, bowls and foil with products such as applesauce, rhubarb, tomato or herring can increase the concentration of aluminum in food“.
An opinion, which also validates Darin Detwiler “High temperatures, especially those of acidic foods like tomatoes, citrus fruits or vinegar, can cause aluminum to leach into foods. Although it usually occurs in small amounts, excessive aluminum consumption over time has been linked to potential health problems, including
neurodegenerative diseases“, he specifies.
For its part, the American Food and Drug Administration indicates “that aluminum foil is safe to use in temperatures up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit” said Tamika Sims, senior director of food technology communications at the International Food Information Council.
She also assured that the agency regulates “all kinds of food packaging materials for safety reasons“, including aluminum, glass and paper.
What does our expert think?
Questioned on this subject, Dr Arnaud Cocaul was categorical.
“Aluminum must be disposed of at high temperatures, whether in an oven or even in the microwave. Micro-particles, invisible to the naked eye, can in fact be released and contaminate food.”
The doctor points out that if the aluminum “has its place in the kitchen“, it must simply be used to cover a dish and not to cook food.
As for the combo “aluminum and acidic foods“, discussed on Tiktok, the doctor is once again affirmative.
“Acidic ingredients such as lemon macerate with the aluminum and will cause a chemical reaction, resulting in the release of particles. he warns, before continuing: “We know that aluminum acts on the central nervous system. I therefore recommend not doing chemistry in the oven and putting this material aside!” he declares.
The right option to replace it? “Special papers, such as parchment paper“, concludes the doctor.