Many consumers have started to worry about the aluminium foil their meals arrive in, fearing exposure to so-called heavy metals and a possible cancer risk. The concern sounds alarming, but experts say the panic is misplaced.
Aluminium, a metal commonly used in cookware and food packaging, is not classed as a heavy metal, nor is it known to be carcinogenic. Most people also ingest far less of it than they imagine, in reality.
Dr Jayesh Sharma, a leading oncologist and cancer surgeon from Raipur, addressed the growing fear around aluminium foil in a post on Instagram. “Hot roti in aluminium foil. Safe or toxic? We use it every day for packing lunch and storing food. But there are rumors that heating aluminium makes it leach into our food and damage our kidneys. So does this favourite kitchen staple of yours secretly harm you? Let us check the facts,” he wrote.
“Is Aluminum actually a “Heavy Metal”? There is a lot of fear-mongering about cooking in aluminum vessels and using foil wraps. Today, let’s look at the periodic table and the medical reality. The answer might not be what you expect. Watch the full breakdown,” he wrote further. Below, watch the video:
Why aluminium is used so commonly
- Aluminium is one of the most abundant metals on Earth.
- It is very lightweight, and not heavy metal. Heavy metals include lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic, among others.
- It does not readily react with food; this means that only a small amount can enter the food, and even this is hardly absorbed by the body. Whatever is absorbed is efficiently removed by the kidneys.
Dr Sharma, however, cautioned that in extreme situations, aluminium toxicity can occur, but no cancer risk factor is associated with its normal usage. According to him, an average Indian consuming 60 to 80 milligrams faces no health problems, and even reaching that amount through daily food is difficult.
Simple precautions if you want to reduce exposure to aluminium
- Avoid cooking in aluminium vessels on very high heat.
- Avoid cooking highly sour or acidic foods in them.
- It is best to avoid the long-term storage of acidic items in aluminium containers.
Dr Sharma, in conclusion, said that what we eat is far more important than what container it comes in. He added that blaming aluminum for cancer is like blaming cigarette foil instead of the cigarette itself.
